SPOILERS are ahead for Percy Jackson Season 2, Episode 4 “Clarisse Blows Up Everything,” which is new on streaming this week on Disney+ and Hulu.

We’re officially halfway through Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and the most recent episode brought about the debut of a very important character to the series: Thalia Grace. Thalia is the daughter of Zeus, and a fallen friend to Annabeth, Grover and Luke, who gave her life to protect them. Now that she’s here, we have to talk about her casting origin story and her early arrival to the series.

How Tamara Smart Was Cast As Thalia In Percy Jackson

Twenty-year-old British actress Tamara Smart is our official Thalia Grace, but how was she chosen for the role? Showrunner Dan Shotz shared how she was picked on Instagram. In his words:

That’s right, Tamara Smart and Lance Reddick were both in Netflix’s Resident Evil back in 2022. Sadly, Reddick passed away in 2023 at the age of 60, but apparently, his wife kept in contact with the Percy Jackson showrunning team and decided to throw out an option in Smart. Here’s what happened when she auditioned, per Shotz:

The Percy Jackson cast and crew suffered a great loss with the death of the original Zeus actor, but it’s kind of perfect that Stephanie Reddick had a hand in the casting of the character’s daughter, isn’t it? The role of Zeus has been recast by Courtney B. Vance, who said he was “embraced” on set despite the difficult circumstances. It’ll definitely be bittersweet whenever Thalia and Zeus do share a scene together.

Thalia Was Introduced Earlier Than I Expected, But I'm All In On The Change

Now, in the Percy Jackson books, Thalia doesn’t make her official first appearance until later in the story than where we are with Sea of Monsters, but as a fan, I found the early introduction to be well done. When CinemaBlend talked to author Rick Riordan, he told us it was a “revelation” to him to see Smart take on the role, and for the story of Thalia to be introduced as a flashback, instead of a story told by Annabeth.

Now that we’ve seen Thalia for the first time in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, we’re of course excited about Episode 5 "We Check In to C.C.'s Spa & Resort", which the showrunners teased might be the best episode yet. The episode drops on Disney+ and Hulu on Wednesday, December 31.

As we get ready for the new season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians arriving in the 2025 TV schedule next week, there’s a lot of new casting to get excited for, but a notable one is rather bittersweet. Following the death of Lance Reddick back in 2023, the series was tasked with recasting the role of Zeus. It was announced that Courtney B. Vance would take over the role about a year ago, and now the actor has now gotten candid about doing so.

At the Los Angeles premiere for Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Vance shared his thoughts on taking over the role on the blue carpet. In his words to Deadline:

Apparently, when Courtney B. Vance arrived at the set of Percy Jackson, he came prepared with a speech for the cast and crew to honor Lance Reddick. Previously, executive producer Craig Silverstein detailed that Vance got emotional as he talked about the “responsibility” associated with “stepping into the shoes of that performance.”

Rick Riordan, who is the author behind all the Percy Jackson books and a co-creator on the series, called Courtney B. Vance “incredible” in the role and “the right person at the right time.” Zeus isn’t a main cast member in the Disney+ series, but he is a powerful presence in the series as the King of the Gods. In the first season of Percy Jackson, Reddick debuted the role in the finale “The Prophecy Comes True,” when Percy journeys to Olympus to return Zeus’s Master Bolt, which was stolen.

We don’t currently know what episode Courtney B. Vance will debut as Zeus in Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but his daughter Thalia will be introduced during the season. We’ve already seen a first look at Thalia in the latest trailer, who is set to be played by Tamara Smart. As we learned in the first season of Percy Jackson, Thalia sacrificed her life to save some of the other demigods of Camp Half-Blood, and Zeus saved her by placing her soul inside a tree at its entrance.

Other new additions to the series include Daniel Diemer playing a Cyclops named Tyson, Andra Day as Athena (Annabeth's mom), Margaret Cho, Kristen Schaal, and Sandra Bernhard playing the Gray Sisters, and Rosemarie DeWitt as Circe.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is an adaptation of the second book, Sea of Monsters. The first two episodes will premiere on December 10 on both Disney+ and Hulu, with new episodes premiering weekly.

We learned Lance Reddick died at the age of 60 over two years ago now, but it’s still hard to wrap our heads around the loss. One of his last roles was Zeus in the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is set to continue for the 2025 TV schedule. And since Zeus is the king of all gods, he was recast, with Courtney B. Vance announced to be taking over the role in late 2024. Key names from the series have now broken their silence about passing the torch to Vance, and their comments are getting me emotional.

Ahead of Season 2 of Percy Jackson arriving on Disney+ this December, its star and producers shared the process behind replacing Lance Reddick as Zeus after his death. Executive producer Craig Silverstein shared this to Entertainment Weekly:

As Silverstein shared, Courtney B. Vance, who recently showed up in Lilo & Stitch and Grotesquerie, didn’t take the role lightly when he turned up on set to play the new Zeus. He took time to honor Lance Reddick (who was also important to the John Wick franchise along with The Wire) through a “beautiful” speech, and even got the seal of approval from Reddick’s wife, Stephanie. As Percy Jackson himself, Walker Scobell shared with the magazine:

Reddick died in March 2023, reportedly of heart disease eight months before Season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered. Apparently, the Percy Jackson producers “talked and worried” about how to go about the casting “endlessly” before deciding to find a new actor for the role. Author Rick Riordan (who is also a producer on the series) had this to say about the recasting process:

Riordan apparently had “a lot of conversations” with Vance about "how to honor Lance's legacy and this huge hole that that left in the series,” as well. Ultimately, the series producers decided that the show wouldn’t explain why a new actor is playing the role of Zeus since the god can choose to look however he wishes.

Riordan hopes the transition will “feel organic” thanks to Vance’s performance in the season and teased he thinks it “feels pretty seamless” within the context of what happens in the show this season. The new season of Percy Jackson will adapt the second book in the series, The Sea Of Monsters, and is set to come out in December of this year.

There is an expansive future being planned for the John Wick franchise, with three new features set within the canon announced to be in development earlier this year, but it's sad to know that one special aspect of the movies is being left in the past: the relationship between The Continental manager Winston Scott and the hotel's concierge, Charon. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick make a terrific double act in the four John Wick films, and it's sad that we won't get to see the performers back on screen again following Reddick's passing in early 2023.

The late actor died shortly after completing the press tour for the global release of John Wick: Chapter 4, and Ian McShane – who was paired with him for many interviews – has been reflecting on their last time together during the ramp up to the arrival of Ballerina. During the 2025 movie's New York press day, CinemaBlend's Hannah Saulic asked McShane about their time together making the Ana de Armas-led film, and he recalled his last time seeing his co-star:

Ian McShane and Lance Reddick shot their scenes for Ballerina in late 2022, with the action in the film taking place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. It will be the last time that audiences get to see Winston Scott and Charon on screen together – the characters assisting Ana de Armas' Eve Macarro in similar fashion to how they helped Keanu Reeves titular protagonist in the John Wick films.

Since Lance Reddick's passing, audiences have been lucky enough to continue seeing him in a number of new projects – both live-action and voice over. Ballerina is arriving following the releases of the White Men Can't Jump remake, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (director William Friedkin's final film), and the biopic Shirley. He voices Thordak in episodes of the Prime Video series The Legend of Vox Machina and is Lex Luthor in HBO Max's animated DC show Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

Featuring John Wick veterans Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Anjelica Huston in addition to franchise newcomers including Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, David Castañeda, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Ballerina arrives in theaters this Friday, June 6.

The death of Lance Reddick was an absolute tragedy. While he wasn’t an A-list star his distinctive look and voice made him incredibly popular with fans and in demand for numerous projects on the big and small screen. Unfortunately, one of those projects, one of the best series on DIsney+, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, lost him as the series was only just getting started, leading to a need to recast the role of the king of the gods, Zeus.

It’s reported in Variety that Courtney B. Vance has been cast to take over the role of Zeus in Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The season is based on the second book in author Rick Riordan's series, called Sea of Monsters.

Courtney B. Vance Is Taking Over For Lance Reddick

Courtney B. Vance is a pretty solid choice to replace Lance Reddick. Vance is also an incredible talent who elevates every project that he’s part of. Whether playing a leading or supporting role in a movie or TV series, he tends to grab your attention. As the king of the gods should.

In an era where the vast majority of steaming series die on the vine and never make it past Season 1, Percy Jackson is without question the biggest reason to have a Disney+ subscription that isn’t attached to Star Wars or Marvel. The first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians was incredibly popular and fans breathed a sigh of relief when it was officially confirmed that Season 2 would be coming.

Lance Reddick passed away before two of his major projects, Percy Jackson and John Wick: Chapter 4, ever premiered. It wasn’t known at the time that Season 2 of Percy Jackson was happening, but once it was confirmed, recasting became a priority, alongside adding several additional cast members for Season 2 to portray characters that did not appear in Season 1.

How Zeus Will Fit Into Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Lance Reddick only appeared in the final episode of the first season of the Percy Jackson series, and while Zeus’ role in the Sea of Monsters novel is also limited, it at least has the potential to be a larger role than Season 1.

One of the issues to be dealt with is that Zeus’ daughter, Thalia, who currently exists as a tree that protects Camp Half-Blood, thanks to her dad, has been poisoned, leading Percy to quest for something that is capable of saving her and protecting the camp. This leads to Zeus taking more direct action in the book, so we could see more of Vance than we did of Reddick.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is ultimately about the demi-god main character and his friends, so the gods themselves are never really a focus, that said they are always popping in and out of the story. Even if Courtney B. Vance is only a minor part of the series going forward, he’ll be a welcome addition.

Although Lance Reddick died at the age of 60 in March 2023, the world has gotten to spend some time with him, in a sense, thanks to various posthumous movie and TV releases. Sadly, the last of those appearances is fast approaching, with the John Wick spinoff Ballerina slated to hit theaters next summer. Ahead of Ballerina’s arrival onto the 2025 movies schedule, Ian McShane, who starred with Reddick in the spinoff and the prior four John Wick movies, reflected on working with his late co-star.

McShane addressed the Charon to his Winston Scott when he attended a 10th anniversary John Wick screening at AMC Century City in Los Angeles (via DiscussingFilm). Recalling fond memories he’s had of working on the John Wick franchise, the actor said:

Up until John Wick: Chapter 4, Winston was the manager of The Continental’s New York branch, and Charon served as its concierge. Although Lance Reddick and Ian McShane didn’t share any screen time in the first two John Wick movies, they were paired together for the following two movies. Sadly, Charon was gunned down early into Chapter 4, which came out a week after Reddick died, as one of Winston’s several punishments for failing to kill Keanu Reeves’ John Wick.

Not only were Winston and Charon close (with the origin of their friendship being shown in The Continental miniseries, which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription), Ian McShane clearly forged a great bond with Lance Reddick during their time together. A month after Reddick’s passing, McShane called his co-star a “marvelously composed, serious actor” who “brought dignity and strength and gravitas.” This double act of theirs also included when they did John Wick interviews, with McShane saying that he and Reddick “complimented each other very well.”

Thankfully, because Ballerina takes place between the third and fourth John Wick movies, we have one last opportunity to see Lance Reddick play Charon. The spinoff stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, who was trained to be an assassin by the Ruska Roma and will use her lethal skills to exact revenge on the people who killed her father. According to McShane, Eve will be under Winston and Charon’s protection at the Continental during the movie. Keanu Reeves and Anjelica Huston will also reprise their respective roles in the Ballerina cast, and the lineup of other newcomers includes Gabriel Byrne, Catalonia Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Sharon Duncan-Brewster and David Castañeda.

Ballerina opens in theaters on June 6, 2025. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more news on Ballerina and the entire John Wick franchise, which now also includes an anime prequel movie on the development slate.

The Oscars are always controversial, and the 2024 Academy Awards were no exception. No matter how deserving the winners are, some will think the wrong movie won. Some think Lily Gladstone should have won the Best Actress award. Shamiek Moore admits he’s a “sore loser” over Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse losing in the Best Animated Feature category. However, the In Memorium segment is one part of the annual telecast that is regularly seen as a failure. The Oscars routinely leaves out popular stars for no apparent reason. 

The Academy’s yearly attempt to pay tribute to those that we lost is often seen as a flop as certain people tend to be either not given their due if they’re not overlooked completely. This year the Academy appears to have tried to make sure nobody was forgotten. But the way it did that is seen as insulting by some on Twitter as it left many feeling some, like Lance Reddick and Treat Williams, weren’t mentioned at all.

There were three different ways that people were honored at this year’s awards. The first two methods are common, with some receiving short clips where we got to hear their voice while others got a static image with their name. The third method came at the end, where a wall of text appeared simply listing out the names of dozens of people.

While the attempt was clearly to make sure nobody was forgotten, it didn’t work. The massive list of names was difficult to read for the TV audience, if not those in the theaters, and it wasn’t on screen very long, which meant that even though somebody like Lance Reddick, who passed away just about a year ago, technically was included in the segment, some on Twitter thought he’d been left out because they missed his name.

The same was true of Treat Williams. The Chicago Fire actor died in a motorcycle accident last June. He was, "technically,” included in the segment but some of his fans, who were probably looking for his name never saw it, leading to them believing he’d been omitted entirely.  

It’s far from clear how decisions were made regarding how each person’s position in the In Memorium segment was decided. While many of the names we see each year are household names, actors, writers, and directors we know, many others are not names we recognize, though they may have still been major contributors to the industry. But for the segment to not go on too long, many like Ray Stevenson, who died last May, get relegated to the back page, leaving some on Twitter to ask why. 

While the idea behind the massive list may have been good, trying not to leave anybody out, it did not have its desired impact. People thought that many major names had been ignored. While it may not be possible to please everybody, it would seem likely that next year’s In Memorium segment might try something new. 

On March 17, 2023, one week ahead of the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, Lance Reddick died at the age of 60. The actor had starred in the action film series as Charon, concierge of the New York branch of The Continental hotel chain, thus giving him to share many scenes with Keanu Reeves. Nearly a year later, the John Wick lead recalled once writing a letter to Reddick crediting him with being the reason why people “love” his assassin character.

During a conversation with People at the 51st Saturn Awards, where he received the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Award, Reeves talked about how Reddick not only had “a fire for creativity, and for his craft,” but also a “grace” and was gifted with a great sense of humor. As such, he treasures the scenes he got to share with the Charon actor in the John Wick movies, and also shared the following:

While Lance Reddick’s role in the first John Wick movie could be described as a bit part, he got a little more to do in Chapter 2. Then Chapter 3 - Parabellum provided him the opportunity to jump into action with Keanu Reeves when The Continental was deconsecrated, promoting John, Charon and the rest of The Continetal’s staff to fight back against High Table enforcers. Sadly, early on in John Wick: Chapter 4, Charon was shot by the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont as part of Winston’s punishment for letting John get away, on top of being declared excommunicado and the New York’s Continental being destroyed.

As Keanu Reeves sees it, without Charon, John Wick wouldn’t have been as sympathetic a character to the masses, so he used that letter to make sure Lance Reddick was aware of how integral he was to what could be the great action movie franchise of all time. Reeves continued:

Although John Wick: Chapter 4 marked the end of Charon’s journey, it wasn’t the last time we’d see the character onscreen. Later in 2023, Ayomide Adegun played a younger version of the character opposite Colin Woodell in the 1970s-set miniseries The Continental, which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. More importantly though, before his passing, Lance Reddick shot scenes for Ballerina, the Ana de Armas-led spinoff set between the third and fourth John Wick movies. Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston also joined him in Ballerina’s cast alongside newcomers like Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reed’s and Catalina Sandino Moreno. 

Ballerina, which will be Reddick’s final film appearance,  is set to premiere June 7 on the 2024 release schedule. The first three John Wick movies can also be streamed on Peacock, but you’ll need Starz to stream Chapter 4, which can be added on to your Hulu subscription.

Just a week shy of the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, a movie that has even been called the best of the John Wick franchise by many critics, a tragedy befell all involved when Lance Reddick unexpectedly died at 60. Reddick was beloved for his role of Charon in all four John Wick movies, along with being known for starring in The Wire, Fringe and other movies and TV shows. As the Hollywood community continues to mourn his passing, Keanu Reeves is set to receive a new award named after the late actor. 

Reeves, who worked alongside Reddick for over a decade on the John Wick movies, is now set to receive the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Award at the 51st Saturn Awards next Sunday. Upon the announcement, the people behind the award show released this statement (per Variety): 

The Saturn Awards, which is represented by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, have sweetly decided to create a new award in Lance Reddick’s honor, and it’s too perfect that Keanu Reeves will be the first recipient of this award. Not only will the award allow Reddick’s memory to live on during the award show and other future ceremonies, the 51st Saturn Awards has decided to dedicate the entire show to Reddick as well. The announcement has me feeling all the feels, not only for Reeves, but the John Wick: Chapter 4 cast. 

I’ll be curious how Reeves will receive the award and what he’ll say about Reddick now that some time has passed since his death. Back in March when Reddick died, Reeves decided to dedicate the fourth John Wick movie to the actor, as well as called him a “beautiful person” when he attended the movie’s premiere. Although Reddick is no longer with us, the actor is set to appear on Percy Jackson and the Olympians and in the Ballerina cast, among other roles he completed before his death. 

In 2023, we lost a lot of beloved actors, including Friends’ Matthew Perry, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andre Braugher, Euphoria’s Angus Cloud, Pee-Wee Herman’s Paul Reubens and Three’s Company star Suzanne Somers. Lance Reddick and the other famed actors we lost will continue to remain alive in the movies and television they starred in. The Saturn Awards will take place on Sunday, February 4 at 4pm PT, and will be hosted by Community’s Joel McHale. 

We lost a lot of incredible actors in 2023, it’s honestly hard to fathom. From legendary TV actors, like Matthew Perry and Andre Braugher, to movie stars including Alan Arkin, Michael Gambon and Lance Reddick. Now, we’re taking a look back at some of the performers who died this year, and the incredible legacies they’ll always be remembered for. 

Andre Braugher 

TV legend Andre Braugher died at the age of 61. Best known for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street, Braugher’s filmography is incredible, and his legacy will be remembered forever. 

Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry died tragically and unexpectedly in October. He famously played Chandler Bing in the cast of Friends, starred in films like 17 Again, and released a memoir in 2022 titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Angus Cloud

Best known for his work in HBO’s Euphoria as the beloved Fez, Angus Cloud died at the age of 25. 

Paul Reubens 

Paul Reubens died at the age of 70. His legacy will no doubt include his legendary run as Pee-wee Herman. However, he also starred in other projects like Flight of the Navigator and Batman Returns. His final role was a joyful cameo in the comedy Quiz Lady, which premiered on the 2023 movie schedule a few months after he passed away. 

Judy Farrell 

M.A.S.H. actress Judy Farrell died at the age of 84. She played Nurse Able in multiple episodes of the CBS smash hit, and she had roles in other shows like The Partridge Family and Fame. 

 Austin Majors 

Austin Majors died at the age of 27. He was best known for his role in NYPD Blue where he played Theo Sipowicz.

Richard Moll 

Night Cout staple Richard Moll died at the age of 80, less than a year after the show was revived on NBC. He played the beloved bailiff Bull. Along with his work on the sitcom, he also voiced Harvey Dent/Two-Face across multiple animated Batman projects. 

Richard Roundtree 

Best known for his work in Shaft, Richard Roundtree died at the age of 81. He played private detective John Shaft in the 1970s and 2000s, and he was considered the “first Black action hero.”  

Suzanne Somers 

Due to her work in Three’s Company and Step By Step, Suzanne Somers’ will be remembered for her iconic TV legacy. Sadly, Somers died at the age of 76 in October. 

Michael Gambon 

After a long and celebrated career, Michael Gambon died at the age of 82. The actor was best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies from Prisoner of Azkaban to Deathly Hallows. Along with the magical films, he also starred in over 170 other projects, including Gosford Park and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. 

David McCallum 

At the age of 90, David McCallum died after a long and beloved career. The actor was best known in recent years for his work as the adored medical examiner Ducky on NCIS. Before that, he played Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Ron Cephas Jones 

Emmy-winner Ron Cephas Jones died at the age of 66. He had over 40 credits to his name across a three-decade career, and he won two Emmys for his role as William Hill on the hit NBC drama This Is Us. 

Johnny Hardwick 

Johnny Hardwick died at 64. He was best known as the voice of Dale Gribble on King of the Hill. 

Mark Margolis 

Character actor Mark Margolis died at the age of 83. He was best known for playing Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The actor also had roles in legendary movies like Scarface and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. 

Alan Arkin 

At the age of 89, Oscar winner Alan Arkin died. He won the Academy Award in 2007 for his performance in Little Miss Sunshine, and he is also well known for his role in the 2012 Best Picture winner Argo. By the end of his career, he had 111 credits to his name.

Mike Batayeh

Mike Batayeh died at the age of 52, and he was best known for playing Dennis Markowski in the fourth and fifth seasons of Breaking Bad. 

Sergio Calderón 

After a six-decade career, Sergio Calderón died at 77. He was best known for his role as Spanish pirate lord Capt. Vallenueva in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. He also had 50 credits to his name by the end of his career. 

Tina Turner 

At the age of 83, Tina Turner died. Best known for her Grammy-winning music, Turner’s career was illustrious and featured hit songs like “The Best,” "Proud Mary" and “River Deep – Mountain High.” She was also an actress, and she starred in movies like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Last Action Hero.

Ray Stevenson 

Ray Stevenson sadly died at the age of 58, around the same time his show Ahsoka was airing on the 2023 TV schedule. He played Baylan Skoll in the Star Wars series, and he voiced a character in Clone Wars and Rebels. Along with that, he played the titular character The Punisher: War Zone. 

Lance Reddick 

When Lance Reddick died, John Wick: Chapter 4 was days away from release, and his series Percy Jackson and the Olympians came out on Disney+ in December. Along with the releases that came after his death, the legendary actor was best known for his work on The Wire, Fringe, Bosch and Angel Has Fallen. 

Ricou Browning

At the age of 93, Ricou Browning sadly died. He was known for playing the title character in Creature from the Black Lagoon, and he worked with Sean Connery on underwater sequences in two James Bond films.  

Richard Belzer

Comedian, and Law and Order SVU vet Richard Belzer died at the age of 78. He played Detective John Munch in 326 episodes of SVU, and he was a well-known stand-up comedian.  

Raquel Welch

Fantastic Voyage actress Raquel Welch died at 82. She was best known as the star of the beloved sci-fi movie, and also made guest appearances on shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and CSI: Miami.  

Charles Kimbrough 

Sitcom icon Charles Kimbrough died at 86. He was part of the legendary ensemble cast of Murphy Brown where he played Jim Dial, and he won an Emmy in 1990 for the role. He also voiced Victor in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and he was a well-known stage actor, earning a Tony nomination for his work in Company.  

Melinda Dillon 

Melinda Dillon died at 83. A Christmas Story and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind are the films she’s best known for. She also had a career on stage, earning a Tony nomination for her work in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 

Cindy Williams 

Sadly, the star of Laverne and Shirley, Cindy Williams died at the age of 75. She played Shirley Feeney alongside Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio on the show as well as Happy Days. Later in her career, she starred in Getting By.   

Annie Wersching 

Annie Wersching died at the age of 45. Best known for her genre work, the actress starred in Star Trek: Picard and lent her voice to the video game The Last of Us where she played Tess. She also had a recurring role on The Rookie. 

Earl Boen 

At the age of 81, Earl Boen died. He played Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator movies, and he had roles on shows like Seinfeld and The West Wing. He also voiced characters in various animated series including Batman: The Animated Series and Kim Possible. 

Norman Lear

Living to be 101, comedy legend Norman Lear died in December. He was best known as the creator of All in the Family, and is regarded as a legendary producer and writer. However, he did lend his voice to a few projects – South Park and The Simpsons – for cameos. Overall, his impact on TV is undeniable.

We here at CinemaBlend send our condolences to the loved ones of all the incredible actors mentioned in this story. While it’s tragic that they’re no longer with us, their legacies will live on through their marvelous work.

Lost may have taken place on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but with flashbacks, flashforwards, and sideways flashes, there were a lot of roles to fill. Some amazing actors augmented the main Lost cast brilliantly and we bet you've probably forgotten many of them. Here is a list of those actors you've probably forgotten appeared on Lost.

Allison Janney

Years before she played the titular mother on the sitcom Mom with Ana Faris, Allison Janney played a completely different kind of mother on Lost. That was her character’s name, in fact, Mother. She was appropriately mother (or adoptive mother, more accurately) to Jacob and the Man in Black on The Island. Before their arrival, she was the only inhabitant of The Island. Of Janney’s many superb roles, the one she is most famous for is CJ Cregg on The West Wing

Michael Cudlitz

You might know him best for Band Of Brothers where he played Bull Randleman, or maybe from The Walking Dead where he was loved as the tragic Abraham Ford. But you might probably don’t remember him as Ana Lucia’s (Michelle Rodriguez) partner in the LAPD, and later a detective interrogating Hurley. His character, Mike Walton, only showed up in two characters, but you still root for him, just like always. 

Billy Dee Williams

One of the most controversial episodes of Lost is “Expose” from Season 3, better known as the “Nikki and Paulo episode.” The plot centered around two previously unknown survivors and plays out much like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Overshadowed in the online arguments over the episode’s place in the show was that Nikki’s flashbacks showed her as an actress on a show, also called “Expose,” where she co-starred with Billy Dee Williams, who plays himself in the episode.  

Katey Sagal

What can we say about the great Katey Sagal that hasn’t already been said? With hits like Sons Of Anarchy, Married…With Children, and as part of the cast of Rebels on her resume, she’ll be remembered forever. Less remembered is her brief four-episode character arc as a love interest of John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) in flashbacks named Helen Norwood. 

Tamara Taylor

Over 12 seasons of Bones, Tamara Taylor became a household name. Taylor is less remembered for her wonderful portrayal of Susan Lloyd, mother of Walt, in two episodes in Season 1 and 2. She’s also appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Law & Order: Organized Crime, and scores of other shows. 

William Atherton

Nobody in Hollywood plays a smug jerk like the great William Atherton. Whether it’s the EPA agent in Ghostbusters or the reporter in Die Hard, Atherton has an amazing ability to be the guy you love to hate. He plays a similar role in one episode of Lost, as Principal Donald Reynolds. Reynolds is the principal (and an antagonist to Ben Linus) in Episode Seven of the show's final season. 

Cheech Marin

For an actor who started out doing teenage stoner humor, Cheech Marin has built an incredible career for himself. He was the perfect actor to take on the role of David Reyes, Hugo’s father with an amazing wig, in three episodes in flashbacks to Hugo’s childhood. 

Željko Ivanek

Željko Ivanek is an actor with an uncanny ability to play characters that are slimy and shady. He’s brilliant at it. On Lost, he plays such a character, as Juliet’s ex-husband in Season 3, until he meets an untimely demise. Outside of Lost, he’s an accomplished actor who won an Emmy for his role in Damages and also starred in Madame Secretary and Homicide: Life On The Streets. 

Rob McElhenney

Rob McElhenney was already a big deal when he showed up on Lost as Aldo, one of The Others, who was guarding the Hydra Station when we first met him. Always Sunny In Philadelphia was a hit when he made his appearance on Lost, and the future owner of Wrexham FC (and star of the TV show Welcome To Wrexham) made the most of his character’s three-episode arc, showing he could be more than just Mac on Always Sunny. 

Lance Reddick

Lance Reddick was beloved for his roles in the John Wick movies, as well as his turn as Lt. Cedric Daniels on The Wire. The late Reddick also spent a little time on Lost, playing the shadowy Matthew Abaddon, an employee of Charles Widmore whose job it is to make sure the correct people end up on The Island. Though Reddick only appeared in four episodes over Seasons 4 and 5, it was a crucial role.  

Dean Norris

Long before he became a household name playing Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad, Dean Norris guest starred on one episode of Lost. In Episode 13 of Season 5, Norris plays a grieving father who hires Miles Straume (Ken Leung) to contact his deceased son.  

Bruce Davison

Bruce Davison is the kind of actor who shows up in everything and is always first-rate when he does. Davison has an astonishing 281 acting credits listed on IMDB, so it’s no surprise he found his way onto Lost where he played the doctor at the mental institution where Hurley was a patient for two episodes in Season 6. 

DJ Qualls

DJ Qualls is probably best known for playing Kyle in Road Trip but his career has been busy for a long time. Including an episode in Season 2 of Lost, where he plays Hugo’s work buddy from Mr. Cluck’s, Johnny, in a flashback. 

Greg Grunberg

It’s no surprise that since Lost was produced by J.J., Abrams that Greg Grunberg would make an appearance. Grunberg, whose friendship with Abrams goes back decades, almost always pops up somewhere in movies and shows directed by Abrams, and Lost is no exception. Grunberg plays the role of the airplane pilot in the very first episode of the show and appears later in the show's run on a TV screen showing a news report of the plane crash. 

Jon Gries

Appearing in seven episodes, as Ben Linus’ (Michael Emerson)  father, Roger, is veteran actor Jon Gries. Gries has been a working actor since the 1980s, appearing in movies like Real Genius and The Monster Squad, but he’s best known for his role as Uncle Rico in Napolean Dynamite and for playing Tanya’s husband, Greg Hunt, in The White Lotus. 

Robin Weigert

Robin Weingert was part of the amazing cast of Deadwood, playing one of the most-remembered characters, Calamity Jane. She is less remembered for her brief three-episode run on Lost. Weingert plays Juliet's (Elizabeth Mitchell) sister, who has cancer and whom Juliet is treating. Her third appearance on the show is little more than a video, of sorts, that is shown to Juilet on The Island. 

Saïd Taghmaoui

French actor Saïd Taghmaoui has appeared in films and TV all over the world. His first appearance in a U.S. movie was David O. Russell’s Three Kings in 1997, where he played an Iraqi Army officer. Since then, Taghaoui has appeared in numerous movies including John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Wonder Woman. On Lost, Taghmaoui was on Ajira Flight 316 in Season 6 which was meant to return Jack and the others to The Island. 

Fisher Stevens

It’s hard to wrap your head around that Fisher Stevens’ career goes all the way back to the Short Circuit movies in the ‘80s, but it has. In the 20-teens, Stevens became a regular in Wes Anderson movies, like The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch. On Lost Stevens played a member of the crew on Charles Widmore’s freighter named George in six episodes. 

Julie Bowen

In five of Jack Shephard’s (Matthew Fox) flashbacks over the first three seasons, viewers meet his ex-wife, Sarah, played by Julie Bowen. A few years later, Bowen would star in one of the biggest sitcoms of the 2000s as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family.

Robert Patrick

The liquid Terminator himself, Robert Patrick, starred in one episode in Season 1 of Lost. Naturally, he plays a shady character who worked in the past with Sawyer on “The Tampa Job.” Patrick’s character, Hibbs, attempts to convince Sawyer that Sawyer’s father is living in Australia, hoping Sawyer will kill him. Patrick was quite famous by the time of his guest-starring turn, but people forget he was on at all because Hibbs never returned to the story. 

Samantha Mathis

For people in Generation X, Pump Up The Volume (1990) was a momentous film, and a big reason why was Samantha Mathis, who made her film debut in the movie. Since then she’s kept very busy in Hollywood, including as a regular performer in Stephen King adaptations. She also played a young Ben Linus’ schoolteacher in Episode 20 of Season 3, when Linus arrived on the island as a kid with his father. 

Brett Cullen

Brett Cullen’s first big break came on the 1980s show Falcon Crest, where he played Dan Fixx. He’s shown up in dozens of shows and movies since, including The West Wing and Person Of Interest. Cullen has also shown up in two Batman-related movies. He plays a congressman in The Dark Knight Rises and he plays Thomas Wayne in The Joker. Cullen played Goodwin Stanhope on Lost for five episodes. 

Swoosie Kurtz

Swoosie Kurtz has been appearing on television since 1962 when she was just 17 years old. More than 40 years later, she appeared on two episodes of Lost. Playing John Locke’s biological mother, she isn’t the most likable character, but she should be better remembered because her performance was great. 

Kim Dickens

Sawyer conned a lot of people over his career, but one of the most intriguing was Cassidy Phillips, played by Kim Dickens. She learns the trade from him and later ends up befriending Kate. Dickens is also known for Fear The Walking Dead, Treme, and Deadwood, in addition to roles in the films Gone Girl and The Blind Side. 

Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada has been in some of the biggest franchises in American film, including appearing in the MCU and John Wick 4. That’s all after having a huge career in Hong Kong and his native Japan. Sanada appeared in four episodes of Season 6 of Lost as Dogan. 

Saul Rubinek

Canadian Saul Rubinek has had supporting roles in some of the biggest movies of all time, including Unforgiven in 1992, and Wall Street in 1987. In 2005 Rubinek appeared in the second episode of the the second season of Lost as the attorney for Micheal (Harold Perrineau) in his legal battle to keep his son Walt’s mother from moving him to Italy. 

Mark Pellegrino

Mark Pellegrino has been in dozens of movies and even more TV shows over the years. As part of the main role in American Rust, Pellegrino finally started getting the stardom he’s long deserved. He’s been in movies like The Big Lebowski, National Treasure, Capote, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Mullholand Drive. He also starred as the mysterious Jacob on Lost. 

Kevin Tighe

Kevin Tighe’s career stretches way back to the ‘70s and the criminally underrated TV show Emergency!, On Lost, the Road House star played Locke’s father Anthony Cooper, who was a conman who was also the likely inspiration for James Ford (Josh Holloway)  taking the name “Sawyer”, as Cooper conned Sawyer’s mother when Sawyer was a kid. 

John Hawkes

One of the most aptly named characters on Lost was Lennon, because he’s the spitting image of John Lennon in the late ‘60s, with the round wire glasses and everything. Lennon is played by John Hawkes, who is probably best known for playing Sol on Deadwood. He’s also been in a lot of movies, including 2010’s Winter’s Bone, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. 

Kevin Chapman

Kevin Chapman is great at playing a tough guy. On TV shows like Person of Interest and movies like The Boondock Saints, or on Lost, where he played Mitch, one of the security people for the DHARMA Initiative on The Island, he never is a guy you'd want to mess with. 

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez was a cast member on Lost for most of Season 2, though people seem to forget she was a pivotal part of the show as the LAPD cop Ana Lucia. Though she met a tragic end, Ana Lucia would pop back up a few seasons later in a sideway flash in Season 6 and she would appear to Hurley in hallucination in Season 5. 

Shawn Doyle

Shawn Doyle plays a big role in the first three seasons of The Expanse, playing a UN official. He’s also appeared in dozens of other TV shows, including one episode of Lost. Doyle plays an attorney defending Kate, played by Ant-Man and it’s sequels star Evangeline Lilly. 

Lost was one of the most talked about shows in TV history, but somehow it was filled with wonderful performances by actors you’ve probably forgotten were even on the show. 

Fashion can truly make an impression with any character you’re trying to get across; especially with the figures we’re about to discuss. Clothing is definitely not optional, it’s a way of life for some of the snazziest dressers in all of cinematic history. So straighten your tie, smooth out your sweater, and slip on your glasses to take a look at these shining examples of sartorial supremacy.

James Bond (The James Bond Movies)

How can you not admire the costume design throughout every era of James Bond movies? No matter your chosen actor for the job, 007 has made his way into the world with a fine style that matches his cutting wit. His fashion is forever.

Holly Golightly (Breakfast At Tiffany’s)

Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) became a fashion icon for the ages in 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It’s certainly not hard to see why, as Hubert De Givenchy and Edith Head’s talents gave this movie its signature looks; chiefly among them some little black dresses that launched a thousand party outfits.

Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Casino)

How mythic is the wardrobe of Robert De Niro’s Sam “Ace” Rothstein from Casino? There are whole YouTube videos and posters designed to show them off. Not to mention even some of the oversized glasses that Martin Scorsese’s protagonist wears during the film have become the stuff of legend. Better still: Ace isn’t afraid to wear pink, and it suits him to a tee.

Lorelei Lee (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

Sure, as a musical showgirl, it was technically the job of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) to always be on point with her looks. But at the same time, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes certainly snazzed her up in everyday life, thanks to some beautiful use of patterns and color. And of course, who could forget the iconic pink dress Monroe wore during “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend?”

Django (Django Unchained)

Once he entered the world of bounty hunting, Django (Jamie Foxx) took a lot of the advice Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) gave him to heart. And part of that package was the note that your wardrobe is basically your costume for the moments in your life. Everything from rough and tumble western wear to a natty blue velvet suit with ruffles resulted from that viewpoint, and we’re all the greater for it.

Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

If one is going to help make the decisions that puts cerulean sweaters on the backs of those who pretend to hate fashion, one needs to look like they’ve earned that right. The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) definitely earned that right, and then some. While Streep gave up Method acting because of the character’s miserable nature, her style never looked anything less than top-flight.

Caesar Flickerman (The Hunger Games Trilogy)

Oh Stanley Tucci: the respected actor that, early in his career, was a beefcake model for Levi’s. The man’s style sense has never left him, with Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games trilogy being one of his more outlandish cases of style. Bursting with color that matched his energy, it’s hard to hate Panem’s prince of propaganda.

Cruella DeVil (Cruella)

Cruella reinvented the Disney villain from 101 Dalmatians into someone who dug a lot more than Dalmatian spots. Emma Stone’s titular icon of villainy actually changed her tone in this reimagining, setting her sights on revenge in the fashion world, and adopting a sort of punk rock couture aesthetic to do so. Vengeance looked amazing in her hands.

Jinx (Die Another Day)

Yes, Halle Berry’s freezing James Bond entrance in Die Another Day showed her rocking an impressive bikini. But her outfits throughout the rest of the film didn’t slouch either, especially the red leather number that kept her warm in the ice palace of Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). Though it probably also came in handy that time she was nearly carved up by lasers too. 

Charon (The John Wick Movies)

The entire John Wick universe is dressed to the nines, exuding a style profile that puts most action movies to shame. But if I were to highlight anyone, I’m afraid it’d have to be Charon, played by the late great Lance Reddick. Then again, The Continental is one of those places where you always have to be on your fashion game; so maybe this choice was easier than I thought.

Emily Nelson (A Simple Favor)

Paul Feig’s cinematic adaptation of A Simple Favor saw Blake Lively dipping her toe into all corners of the fashion spectrum. Through looks borrowing from both traditionally masculine and feminine modes, it all looked deadly beautiful throughout her neo-noir character’s arc. 

The Protagonist (Tenet)

Inspired by Sean Connery’s James Bond fashion, Tenet costume designer Jeffrey Kurland crafted fashions for The Protagonist (John David Washington), as well as his accomplice Neil (Robert Pattinson) that evoked the classic era of 007. Kind of fitting for a movie where incremental time travel is the game, and Christopher Nolan’s discipline for panache is also very much present. 

Astrid Leong (Crazy Rich Asians)

Astrid Leong (Gemma Chan) has a heart of gold, and the fashion sense to match it. Throughout the entirety of Crazy Rich Asians, she never failed to show up in some of the most gorgeous outfits; even in moments where her heart was breaking in devastating detail. Every time she’s on screen, it’s like watching a fairy tale.

Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

When you’ve got a character that’s described as “the man in the cool beautiful shirts,” your costume design needs to measure up. Director Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby used the talents of costume designer Catherine Martin to do just that, giving Leonardo DiCaprio’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic character the finest threads money could buy. 

Tracy Chambers (Mahogany)

Mahogany’s Tracy Chambers (Diana Ross) has aspirations to be a fashion designer herself. So it’s only fitting that she not only found her way into modeling, but also onto this list of snazzy dressers. Epitomizing the color and opulence of the disco era, her cautionary tale saw Tracy looking absolutely fabulous, even in her most dire moments. 

Nigel (The Devil Wears Prada)

If you haven’t heard it before: Stanley Tucci is a man of great fashion. One of the best examples of this is the role of Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada. While he’s a bit nicer spreading the gospel of fashion than his boss Miranda (Meryl Streep), Nigel doesn’t let up in his keen eye for style in the process.

Jackie Brown (Jackie Brown)

Whether she’s coming home from flying the friendly skies, or keeping one step ahead of her criminal compatriots, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) always looks fantastic. Of course, her striking blue uniform for her day job is what’s always stuck out in Quentin Tarantino’s film. That being said, Ms. Grier’s civilian clothes are no slouch either, especially in that food court outfit where she’s stylishly wearing a Kangol cap.

Thomas Crown (The Thomas Crown Affair)

Billionaire by day and thief in his downtime, The Thomas Crown Affair’s titular rogue is always sharply suited for the occasion. Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movies certainly set a similar expectation, but this 1999 remake gave the actor some room to roam; even if he wasn’t contractually allowed to be seen in traditional black tie. 

Foxy Cleopatra (Austin Powers in Goldmember)

Borrowing from the rich fashion history of blaxploitation heroines, Austin Powers in Goldmember gave Foxy Cleopatra a whole lot of looks for a whole lot of woman. Then again, when you’ve cast Beyoncé as your female lead, it’s kind of hard to make her look anything other than stunning. Still, an abundance of color and flare is seen through every costume change in this spy movie spoof.

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

‘80s business attire was a unique beast that had stock brokers ready to step out into the night once the closing bell had rung. Using GQ and Esquire as a bible, it’s no wonder how American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) always looked as sharpened as a kitchen knife. Though spare a thought for the man’s dry cleaners, as he does have a bit of a temper.

Niobe (The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions)

Pretty much everyone in The Matrix is a snazzy dresser, especially when they're in The Wachowski's cyberspace playground which gives the film its title. But extra credit has to be given to Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), as she's not a simple black-and-white dresser. With a long red coat that sets her apart from the rest, reflecting her colorful wardrobe in the real world, The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions were a bit brighter when she battled it out on screen.

Marvello Rubini (La Dolce Vita)

There are certain fashion touchstones of cinema history that will never, ever go out of style. And one such look is the classic suit and sunglasses worn by Marcello Mastroianni’s Marvello Rubini, in one of the greatest Italian movies of all time, La Dolce Vita. You can never go wrong with that black suit, but the eyewear that Federico Fellini's protagonist wears throughout the picture really clinches the win every time.

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

Pink is a hard color to work with because, in the wrong context, it could be seen as much too loud. Meanwhile, Legally Blonde icon Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) never met a shade of this pigment she didn’t like. Her signature hue throughout both films, this legal eagle soars high in the sky with flying colors; and it never goes out of style. 

Danny Ocean (Ocean’s Eleven)

A friend once told me, “no one looks as cool as Danny Ocean getting out of prison.” Judging by the look George Clooney’s Ocean’s Trilogy mastermind is rocking at the beginning of that first movie, it’s hard to argue. It’s even more difficult to argue that through all three films, the man isn’t bringing his A-game every single time he steps out.

Annie Hall (Annie Hall)

Blazing a trail for women’s fashion, Annie Hall’s eponymous figure took what was traditionally seen as “men’s clothing” and used it as her own statement to the world. Played brilliantly by Diane Keaton, her keen fashion sense was matched by her wicked wit, more often than not being deployed against lovelorn Alvy Singer (Woody Allen). 

Frank Abignale (Catch Me If You Can)

What is it about confidence crooks that gives them such brilliant fashion sense? Perhaps when Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken) told his young son Frank Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) about how those Yankees pinstripes bedazzle the competition, he was onto something. As a result, Catch Me If You Can’s “real fake” is seen kitted out in everything from pilot’s uniforms to orange sweaters, and he’s always looking dapper as a result. 

Reynolds Woodcock (Phantom Thread)

“Meticulous” is one word that sums up Phantom Thread’s Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark comedy about romance, fashion, and all the illnesses in between saw the Academy Award-winning legend retire in literal style, playing a fashion designer who would never step foot out the door with even a hair out of place.

Ginger McKenna (Casino)

Martin Scorsese’s Casino shows Las Vegas through some of its most tumultuous years. And one of the indicators of how time passes is in the fashion, as Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone) goes from good-time gal to the trusted wife of casino manager Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert DeNiro). Gliding through the years with an effortless eye, Ms. Stone’s costumes maintain an air of control, even when her character seems to be losing that very grasp in life.

Cher Horowitz (Clueless)

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is the ‘90s, period. A fashionista who made something like yellow with black plaid into a work of art, our Clueless hero is anything but when she’s putting together her outfits. Who could ever forget the first time they saw some of Cher’s most signature looks in play?

Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction)

The look of a simple black suit cannot be understated, especially when someone like Samuel L. Jackson is the person wearing it. As imposing fixer Jules Winfield in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Jackson wears this outfit for most of the movie’s running time; save for those sequences taking place after one catastrophic accident. Even in a random t-shirt and shorts, the man knows how to make an impression and keep all the Fonzies in the room cool. 

Rachel Chu (Crazy Rich Asians)

While Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) isn’t from the same sort of world as the family of her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding), that doesn’t stop our Crazy Rich Asians lead from engaging in a makeover. As the film progresses, and through some friendly makeover advice from her best friend (Awkwafina), confidence and fashion are both boosted in equally impressive ways.

Trent (Swingers)

Most would remember the lead characters of Swingers for their big band revival threads that play a big part in their trip to Vegas. However, if you look at the styles that Trent Walker (Vince Vaughn) displays throughout the movie, he is a true example of making anything work. Even his outbursts in a late-night dining situation look sharp, as he knows how to crush a look when he’s relaxed or when he’s switched on. 

If you were looking for some style icons to look up to for a near-future wardrobe refresh, look no further than these movie mavens. With all sorts of looks at work for all types, there’s bound to be something here that could give you the upgrade you’ve been hoping to achieve. And now that you’ve read through this handy guide to such delights, don’t you think you’ve earned it?

Rick Riordan has long been teasing his approved adaptation of his popular Percy Jackson books, and we’re finally coming close to seeing the Disney+ series!! The streaming service announced the release date of Percy Jackson and the Olympians in the first trailer for the show along with a teaser for the late Lance Reddick’s role of Zeus. 

The trailer (which you can watch above) revealed that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is premiering earlier than we thought, on December 20, 2023. The series was originally expected for early 2024, but Disney+ upped the release date. The 30-second teaser shows some brief images of some of the characters and monsters, and I got major chills over Lance Reddick capping it all off when his voice can be heard uttering the words: “Percy Jackson, we’ve been expecting you” in the final shot of the whole thing. 

Ever since Lance Reddick joined the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians I’ve been excited by the choice because The Wire and John Wick actor really has the gravitas for the Greek god. Tragically, Reddick died at the age of 60 back in March, just about a month after the Percy Jackson show wrapped filming, so it’s going to be even more special to see what could be Reddick’s final on-screen role he ever filmed in the series. 

In the first Percy Jackson book, The Lightning Thief, which the first season of the Disney+ show will adapt, Zeus’s Master Bolt is stolen and Percy Jackson’s father Poseidon is blamed and he has suspicions that Percy is the one who stole it for him. With a target on Percy’s back, he goes on a quest to find and return Zeus’s Master Bolt before war begins to rage among the gods. Suffice to say, Lance Reddick’s role in the series is very important to the season. 

While it’s unfortunate that we’re all going to fall in love with Reddick’s Zeus only to see him be replaced by another actor in future seasons, it also feels like the perfect role to keep his legacy going come December. That plus there’s so many exciting teases in the 30-second trailer that have me excited to watch the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I think I see the first look at Ares, Medusa, and a round of monsters Percy, Annabeth, and Grover come in contact with during their quest and I’m really excited to see how the series adapts the source material. 

The Lightning Thief was previously adapted into a movie starring Logan Lerman, which had Sean Bean portraying Zeus, in 2010, but there were so many differences between the book and movie that it was frustrating. We can’t wait to see this iteration of Percy Jackson come to life, especially considering Rick Riordan is so involved, come December 20! 

Hollywood lost a truly talented performer when Lance Reddick died at the age of 60 back in March. The seasoned performer had been busy around the time of his passing, as he was just kicking off the John Wick: Chapter 4 press tour. And this month marked the release of another one of his final films – White Men Can’t Jump. Though he plays a relatively small role in the sports comedy, Reddick shines in the moments he gets. It turns out the late star actually could’ve had even more screen time, as he filmed a sweet scene that was ultimately cut.

Lance Reddick was the elder statesman of the White Men Can’t Jump cast and, based on what’s been said, the cast really enjoyed working with him. The Wire alum played the role of Benji Allen, the father of Sinqua Wells’ Kamal Allen (who’s the spiritual successor to Wesley Snipes’ character from the OG movie). Benji is introduced as a devoted and loving father, who hopes to help his son realize his professional basketball dreams. Years later, after Kamal’s aspirations are dampened, the patriarch battles ALS. 

After appearing in a flashback during the movie’s, Benji makes his first present-day appearance in the film during a birthday party scene, during which it’s revealed that he now utilizes a wheelchair. However, the older variation of the character was actually going to debut earlier in the film. This reveal comes from director Charles “Calmatic” Kidd, who I spoke with ahead of the remake’s release. The House Party filmmaker laid out the scene while also explaining why it had to be cut:

Kamal and Benji have a few sweet scenes in the finished film, but this could’ve added another emotional layer to their relationship. But of course, when you’re editing a feature film, chances are that not everything is going to make it into the final cut. And though he had to delete one of his star’s scenes, Calmatic was definitely in awe of the acting veteran during the filmmaking process:

Few would deny the notion that the Baltimore-born thespian had natural talent, and he’ll surely be missed. Lance Reddick, whose cause of death was revealed to be heart disease, has a number of other posthumous movie and TV appearances on the horizon. He’s set to reprise his role as John Wick’s Charon for the spinoff film, Ballerina. And when he spoke to CinemaBlend months ago, he had nothing but good things to say about working with “dynamic” lead actress Ana de Armas. Reddick will also appear as Zeus in Disney+’s upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and that’s a fitting role for such an imposing person.

It’s honestly still somewhat hard to believe that the actor is no longer with us, yet his spirit lives on through his vast body of work. To say that he gave some incredible performances would be an understatement, and one gets the impression from Calmatic’s comments that he always gave 100%. I’m confident that effort will come through in his final works as it did in this movie. 

If you haven’t already, head to Hulu and check out White Men Can’t Jump, which is one of the most notable titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. 

After what seems like years of hearing about it, the remake of the classic basketball movie, White Men Can’t Jump, is finally available to anyone with a Hulu subscription. Much like the original, starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, the new Hulu movie sees Jack Harrow and Sinqua Walls’ characters form an unlikely partnership on and off the court to create the ultimate team dynamic.

After watching the movie, there’s a good chance you’re wondering where you’ve seen all the actors from the White Men Can’t Jump cast before. Though some will seem more familiar than others, we’ve put together a list of all the major stars from the movie and why you should recognize them.

Sinqua Walls (Kamal)

Sinqua Walls co-leads the White Men Can’t Jump cast as Kamal, an incredible yet cash-strapped street hooper who finds a way to end his money troubles, as well as find glory on the blacktop, when he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Jack Harlow's Jeremy.

Prior to landing the role based on Wesley Snipes's Sidney Deane from back in the original movie, Walls appeared on shows like Friday Night Lights, Teen Wolf, and Power, making him instantly recognizable to fans of those series. But if not, then maybe movies like Believe Me, Resort to Love, and Alice will ring a bell or two. 

You'll probably soon recognize Walls from another movie, as he's set to appear in Tim Story's upcoming horror comedy, The Blackening.

Jack Harlow (Jeremy) 

Much like Woody Harrelson’s Billy Hoyle in Ron Shelton’s original film, Jack Harlow appears in the remake as Jeremy, the unassuming white boy who can not only carry his own weight on the court, he dominates.

Unlike Harrelson, who had plenty of experience on screen thanks to his long-running role on Cheers way back when, the remake is not only Harlow’s first movie, it’s his first acting credit. This isn’t to say Harlow is just a random guy who walked onto a film set, as he is quite a gifted rapper who has found a great deal of success early in his career. Over the years, Harlow has started to show off his comedic chops, which came in handy when he hosted Saturday Night Live in October 2022.

Teyana Taylor (Imani) 

Teyana Taylor gives a tremendous performance in her portrayal of Kamal’s girlfriend, Imani, the latest in a long line of appearances for the singer, actress, dancer, and choreographer.

Sticking with her movie appearances, Taylor has popped up in Tyler Perry movies like Madea’s Big Happy Family, the Eddie Murphy-led comedy Coming 2 America, and most recently, A Thousand and One, which saw multi-talented star take on the lead role of a mother who would do anything to be with her son.

Taylor has also been all over TV throughout her career, with the vast majority of her small-screen appearances being on various reality shows and music-centric series where she was a performer. Fans of The Masked Singer will certainly recognize Taylor as the winner of the show’s seventh season. 

Laura Harrier (Tatiana)

Next up is Laura Harrier, who is featured throughout the White Men Can’t Jump remake as Jeremy’s girlfriend, Tatiana.

If you’ve recently watched the Spider-Man movies added to Disney+, then you’ll certainly remember Harrier from her portrayal of Liz Allan in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming (as well as a brief cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that’s not on the service just yet). Outside of her MCU work, Harrier has given commanding performances in movies like BlacKkKlansman, Fahrenheit 451, The Starling, and several others throughout her career.

You might also recognize Harrier from her roles on shows like Hollywood, Calls, and the 2022 Hulu original series, Mike.

Vince Staples (Speedy)

There are numerous supporting characters featured throughout the basketball-centric film, with one of the most prominent and dynamic being the hoopster known as Speedy, who is played by actor, rapper, and singer Vince Staples.

One of the many associates of the Odd Future hip hop collective who have gone on to find a great deal of success in multiple mediums, Staples has remained quite busy and noticeable the past decade-and-a-half. With appearances in movies like Rick Famuyiwa’s 2015 coming-of-age comedy, Dope, the 2018 animated movie MFKZ, and multiple others, Staples has kept the momentum going on the big screen.

Since 2022, Staples has portrayed Maurice on Quinta Brunson’s hit comedy series, Abbott Elementary. Before that, he voiced the titular character on the Adult Swim animated comedy Lazor Wulf. All of this is in addition to his hip hop career, which includes collaborations with the likes of Common, Tyler The Creator, Billie Eillish, and multiple others. 

Myles Bullock (Renzo)

Myles Bullock shows up in White Men Can’t Jump as Renzo, Kamal’s long-time friend and fellow hoopster.

If you are a fan of the Hulu Marvel series Runaways, which ran on the streamer for three seasons between 2017 and 2019, then you will probably recognize Bullock from his portrayal of Anthony “AWOL” Wall. If not, there are a few other shows that have featured the actor over the years, including in his recurring role on BMF a couple years back. Bullock has also landed small parts on acclaimed series like S.W.A.T., Criminal Minds, and Dave during that same stretch of time. 

Lance Reddick (Benji Allen)

And then there is the late Lance Reddick, who sadly passed away before the world got to see his portrayal of Kamal’s dad, Benji, in the White Men Can’t Jump remake.

One of the most recognizable faces and voices of his era, Reddick made a name for himself on iconic HBO shows like Oz and The Wire in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, and he would only continue his incredible run from there. Shows like Fringe, Bosch, and Netflix’s Resident Evil all featured the actor in major capacities, each allowing him to shine in the process.

Perhaps most notably, however, fans of the John Wick movies will immediately remember Reddick for his portrayal of Charon, one of the franchise’s best characters. 

You can see all of these stars and other members of the White Men Can’t Jump cast in action right now. To start planning out your summer blockbuster season, make sure to check out our 2023 movie schedule so you don’t miss a thing on the big screen or on streaming services like Hulu.

Stream White Men Can’t Jump on Hulu.

On March 17, John Wick and The Wire actor Lance Reddick died at the age of 60. This happened just one week before the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, which saw the actor reprising the role of Charon, the concierge of The Continental’s New York branch. Reddick had been making the Chapter 4 press rounds right before his death, and had been frequently paired with Ian McShane, who plays Winston, the hotel’s manager. McShane shared a statement expressing his “total shock and disbelief” upon the news of Reddick’s passing going public, and now he’s reflected on working with his costar, calling him a “delight.”

With their characters being the two main Continental representatives in the John Wick film series, Lance Reddick and Ian McShane naturally ended up spending a fair amount of time with each other over the last decade, so the latter got to know the former pretty well. In the latest issue of Empire Magazine (via SYFY), McShane had the following to say about his time with Reddick:

Clearly McShane not only enjoyed working with Reddick on the John Wick movies, but also spending time with him off camera. McShane also shared that he learned that the actor also well known from Fringe and Bosch had died after getting a text from Keanu Reeves while he was leaving a coffee shop in Venice, California. The Deadwood alum added that it’s “bittersweet” that Reddick isn’t around to “experience the great success” of John Wick: Chapter 4 with everyone else who worked on the 2023 new movie release, and that it’s especially “difficult” watching the feature now considering its major twist concerning Charon.

On April 6, it was reported that Lance Reddick’s death certificate listed that his immediate cause of death was from Ischemic heart disease, as well as Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. However, Reddick’s attorney, James Hornstein, later issued a statement disputing these findings, saying that his late client was “the most physically fit person I’ve ever known” and that “the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family.” There’s been no update on these conflicting claims since then, but the day after Reddick died, his wife, Stephanie, expressed her gratitude for the love and support shared with her during this difficult time.

Although Reddick is no longer with us, we will be seeing him a few more times onscreen posthumously. For one thing, next year he’ll be seen as Charon one last time in the Ana de Armas-led Ballerina, a spinoff taking place between the events of the third and fourth John Wick movies. He’ll be seen next month in the White Men Can’t Jump remake (which Hulu subscribers will be able to view), and his other final movies include Shirley and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Additionally, he’ll star as Zeus in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is expected to premiere sometime next year.

As for Ian McShane, he too will be reprising Winston as part of the cast assembled for Ballerina. Should you like to revisit the first three John Wick movies as Chapter 4 continues its theatrical run, they can be streamed with a Peacock subscription. That platform will also be home to The Continental miniseries, which dropped its first trailer earlier this week and show how a young Winston, played by Colin Woodell, ended up taking control of the hotel.

Update: Following the publishing of this initial article, Lance Reddick's family and legal representation reached out to dispute the report. The article has been updated to reflect this.

On March 17, John Wick and The Wire actor Lance Reddick suddenly died at the age of 60. His passing came just one week before his fourth outing as The Continental concierge Charon in John Wick: Chapter 4, and in the midst of doing press for the 2023 new movie release. Nearly a month later, his cause of death has reportedly been revealed.

Per the late actor’s death certificate, which was acquired by TMZ, Reddick’s immediate cause of death was revealed to be from Ischemic heart disease, as well as Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. This confirmed the initial belief from authorities that he died from natural causes when he was found. This latest report also mentioned that his body was to be cremated.

Following the release of the alleged report, the lawyer who represented the actor during his lifetime, James Hornstein, spoke out. In a longer statement indicating that Reddick was "the most physically fit person I've ever known" at the time of his death and also indicating the results were "not a result of an autopsy," Hornstein said in a statement (via EW):

Lance Reddick was found by his wife, Stephanie, collapsed in the backyard of their home in Studio City on the morning of March 17, and she promptly dialed 911. A day later, Stephanie posted about her husband’s death on Instagram, saying that he was “taken from us far too soon” and thanked everyone “for all your overwhelming love, support and beautiful stories” that had been shared about him. Among the people who paid tribute to Reddick after his passing was Keanu Reeves, who, of course, leads the John Wick franchise as the title character. He also spoke about his late co-star at the Los Angeles premiere of Chapter 4.

Along with his time as Charon and Cedric Daniels from The Wire, Lance Reddick’s other major characters included Phillip Broyles from Fringe, Matthew Abaddon from Lost, Deputy Chief Irvin Irving from Bosch, Albert Wesker from Netflix’s short-lived Resident Evil series and Secret Service Director David Gentry in Angel Has Fallen. A few years earlier, he also made a brief appearance in Godzilla vs. Kong. As mentioned previously, Reddick spent the immediate days before his death promoting John Wick: Chapter 4, which included going on Kelly Clarkson’s talk show to talk about his character and sharing how he responded to the surprise involving Charon in this latest installment.

Although the actor is no longer with us, we will be seeing him a few more times onscreen posthumously. This June, he’ll appear as Benji Allen in the White Men Can’t Jump remake, which will be accessible to watch with a Hulu subscription. He’ll also play Charon one last time in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, which is now dated for release on June 7, 2024. Reddick’s other final movies include Shirley and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and Disney+ subscribers will get to see him next year playing Zeus in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

We here at CinemaBlend continue to offer our sympathy to Lance Reddick’s family and friends for their loss. He was a talent who left us too soon.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

The end of John Wick: Chapter 4 has stirred up a lot of conversation because it features the death of Keanu Reeves’ titular protagonist, but certainly not to be forgotten is that he is one of two major characters who doesn’t make it to the movie’s end credits. Charon, played by Lance Reddick (who tragically passed away earlier this month), is killed by Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis in an early scene – instantly setting high stakes for the film. It’s a shocking moment given fan appreciation for the stoic, talented concierge of The Continental, and Reddick was definitely taken aback when he first learned about Charon’s fate from the script.

I learned about Lance Reddick initial response to his character’s death while interviewing the actor and co-star Ian McShane at the Los Angeles press day for John Wick: Chapter 4. After talking about Winston’s motives at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and working with Ana de Armas in the upcoming movie Ballerina, I moved the conversation into spoiler territory. I specifically asked about his reaction to Charon’s fate in the movie, and he said with a smile,

I followed up the conversation in my own chat with Chad Stahelski nearly two weeks after sitting down with Lance Reddick and Ian McShane – the day before the news broke that Reddick had died. I told the filmmaker that I had asked the actor about Charon’s death, noting that he seemed heart-struck, and he explained why it was that call was made in the John Wick: Chapter 4 script.

Stahelski began by saying that he could understand criticisms of the decision, noting that he is aware that it is sometimes an indication of creative bankruptcy:

He added that he wasn’t sure what version of the script Lance Reddick had read, noting that the movie changed over the course of the project’s development, but emphasized that it wasn’t a decision that was made flippantly. There were evidently versions of the script where Ian McShane’s Winston was killed (something McShane alluded to during my interview), but ultimately it was understood that Charon’s death was what was right for the film:

The moment in question comes relatively early in John Wick: Chapter 4. Winston and Charon go to meet with the Marquis, and they face serious consequences for their association with the killer nicknamed The Baba Yaga. Winston is stripped of his role as the manager of The Continental, but more importantly, Charon is shot and killed.

It’s a striking moment in the first act of the movie, and Chad Stahelski recognized it as a key and important plot beat:

Sadly, John Wick: Chapter 4 will now be remembered as one of Lance Reddick’s last films, though, as alluded to, we will see the actor back as Charon in Ballerina – which is set prior to the events of the new movie. He’ll next be featured in the remake of White Men Can’t Jump, which is scheduled to be released on May 19 on HBO Max.

If you haven’t seen it already, John Wick: Chapter 4 is now playing in theaters everywhere, and you can consult our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to learn about all of the titles set to hit cinemas and streaming services in the coming months.

The John Wick fandom is still reeling from Lance Reddick’s unexpected death at age 60. Keanu Reeves and his John Wick family have opened up about losing him as John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently in theaters. With the promotion machine in full effect, fans got to see the late actor in his final interview with his co-stars. The John Wick star spoke with The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson about his movie family before his untimely passing.

The TV and film veteran opened up about the closeness between the John Wick cast while promoting the third sequel on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The bond between the co-stars has been on full display from press appearances to the film’s red carpet-premiere. Prior to his death, Reddick revealed the latest entry takes a personal turn for Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, who’s on a quest filled with “loyalty, friendship, and revenge.” While he gushed over how beautiful the sequel looked, Reddick touched on the core theme between John Wick, Winston, and Charon, saying:

Lance Reddick’s sentiment rings true even more so after the interview aired. Right now, his John Wick family is still coping and grieving his loss during what should be a momentous occasion with John Wick 4 finally reaching movie cinemas. The close bond between the cast has been obvious as the press machine ramped up for the sequel. Reddick, McShane and Reeves have appeared in all the John Wick films, so it should be expected even if it’s not always true for most film casts. See what else the late actor had to say about his movie family in the clip below.

As Ian McShane mentioned, the family connection started with Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski’s relationship going back to the first Matrix film. Doing so allowed the duo to develop a “deep understanding of each other and a deep empathy for the story.” Of course, this sentiment extended to the entire cast and crew. Reeves chose to spend his birthday with Lance Reddick on the set of John Wick 4, even though it was his day off.

Fortunately, John Wick 4 won’t be the last fans get to see the onscreen trio in the same movie. The Ana de Armas-led spinoff Ballerina will see Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick and Ian McShane reprise their roles. The movie will serve as one of Reddick’s final onscreen appearances. Right now, it’s unknown how the John Wick universe will handle Charon in any future installments or spinoffs.

There will be more opportunities to see Lance Reddick again in upcoming 2023 movie releases, like Hulu’s reboot of White Men Can’t Jump and the biopic Shirley starring and directed by Regina King. The former will be available through a Hulu subscription on May 19, and the latter is slated to premiere later this year. Thankfully, moviegoers will get to say goodbye through his film work.

"John Wick: Chapter 4" stars Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King), Lance Reddick (Charon), Ian McShane (Winston), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shimazu), Shamier Anderson (Tracker) and director Chad Stahelski discuss the latest "John Wick" film in this interview with CinemaBlend's Asst. Managing Editor Eric Eisenberg. Topics include the most intense "John Wick 4" stunts, Ana De Armas in the upcoming "John Wick" spinoff “Ballerina,” and even how Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt would stand up against John Wick. Plus, we tried to get something about "Constantine 2" out of Keanu Reeves.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski Discuss The Wild Stair Sequence
01:30 - Ian McShane/Lance Reddick Hilariously Imagine Their Character’s Lives Outside The Continental
02:20 - Bowery King’s Backstory According to Laurence Fishburne
03:25 - Tracker And Shimazu’s Backstories According To Shamier Anderson And Hiroyuki Sanada
05:15 - The John Wick Movies Have a Special Way of Celebrating Stuntmen Who Get ‘Killed’ by Keanu Reeves
06:05 - Why Keanu Reeves Loves Training For ‘John Wick’
07:05 - John Wick vs. Ethan Hunt: Keanu Reeves Has The Most Keanu Reeves Response (And Gushes About Tom Cruise)
08:20 - Lance Reddick/Ian Mcshane on Working with Ana De Armas in ‘Ballerina’
09:05 - Chad Stahelski Dishes on the ‘John Wick’ Spinoff, ‘Ballerina’
10:15 - Laurence Fishburne On Potentially Returning For ‘Ballerina’
11:15 - Hiroyuki Sanada on Working with Fellow Kung-Fu Legend Donnie Yen
12:00 - Did Winston Try to Kill John Wick In 'Chapter 3?' Ian McShane/Lance Reddick Respond
13:00 - Keanu Reeves on Potentially Going Blond for 'Constantine 2'

Hollywood was shocked last week to learn of the death of Lance Reddick. At 60-year-old he died far too young. And while he wasn’t a massive star, he touched every corner of entertainment and seems to have made fans in all of them. He also made friends who are clearly heartbroken that he is gone, including Keanu Reeves.

While Reeves had technically already released a statement alongside John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski, Reeves gave a much more off-the-cuff and impassioned statement to Deadline at the Los Angeles premiere of John Wick: Chapter 4 . He clearly had some trouble even talking about Reddick’s death so soon after it happened. Reeves said…

The timing is perhaps part of the reason that Reddick’s death still doesn’t feel quite real. The cast of John Wick: Chapter 4 has been doing the standard media tour to promote the film’s release this Friday. Reddick was in attendance for a lot of this, giving interviews and talking about the movie, and now, in the middle of it all, he’s just not there anymore. It does fucking suck.

Lance Reddick’s body was discovered the morning of March 17 and his death was a shock to fans everywhere. While it’s believed he died of natural causes, nobody was expecting this. And the fact that it happened on the eve of the release of his latest film, John Wick: Chapter 4, makes it that much more of a surprise.

Many were introduced to Reddick through The Wire. Others know him best from the Destiny video game franchise, where the game community recently paid tribute to the actor. In less than 30 years Reddick had built up over 100 credits according to IMDb, and he had several more projects in various stages of development. Fans were expecting to see him again and again for years to come.

Of course, right now, fans are focused on the John Wick franchise, and those movies are a good example of just how captivating Lance Reddick was as an actor his role in the first two films was fairly small, the sort of performance that might not have been noticed, but he had such a screen presence that it was impossible not to notice him. Reddick will also appear in the upcoming spinoff Ballerina.

Because Reddick had several projects in development, John Wick: Chapter 4 won’t be the last time fans see him, but now that appearance, and everyone that comes after, will hit fans differently, knowing that he’s no longer with us.

The world of John Wick is expanding. While fans are presently awaiting the release of John Wick: Chapter 4 this Friday, we are also getting ready for the release of Ballerina – a spinoff starring the Oscar-nominated talents of Ana de Armas. Having recently completed filming, the movie is now in post-production, and while there is still quite a lot about it that we don’t know, we do know that it will feature Lance Reddick and Ian McShane in supporting roles, and both actors recently spoke about their time working with the film’s star.

Two weeks prior to the horrible news from this past Friday about Lance Reddick’s death, I had the chance to interview him and co-star Ian McShane at the John Wick: Chapter 4 junket. In addition to discussing the motivations of their characters, Charon and Winston, at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the actors also talked about their time on the set of Ballerina. I asked specifically about their experience with Ana de Armas, and McShane began,

For those who don’t recall, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum features a sequence at a ballet school where Keanu Reeves’ titular protagonist meets with The Director (Anjelica Huston). In one of the scenes with the two characters, The Director is instructing a ballerina played by Unity Phelan, and it’s she who will be the protagonist in Ballerina (recast with Ana de Armas in the role). Her name is Rooney, and she is not only a dancer, but an assassin-in-training – which shouldn’t be too surprising in the context of the franchise.

The character’s work as a hired killer presumably leads her to go to the New York Continental at some point in the new film, as that that would be the logical way that she encounters both Charon and Winston.

Ballerina will feature one of the last performances by Lance Reddick, and while it doesn’t sound like he will have too much screen time in the film, he was nonetheless impressed by what he saw from Ana de Armas. Said Reddick,

In addition to Lance Reddick and Ian McShane, Ballerina will also feature an appearance from Keanu Reeves – and it will mark the third time that Reeves has worked with Ana de Armas after 2015’s Knock Knock and 2016’s Exposed.  Shay Hatten, the co-writer of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, has penned the screenplay, and Len Wiseman is directing.

Lionsgate is set to distribute Ballerina, but the studio has not yet announced a release date for the film. Of course, the wait for that movie is made easier by the fact that we are about to see the theatrical arrival of John Wick: Chapter 4, which has earned rave reviews in recent weeks following press screenings and a surprise showing at the 2023 SWSW Film Festival.

Stay tuned for more from my interviews with the stars and director of the new sequel, and check out our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to learn about all of the big films set to be released in theaters and on streaming in the coming months.

Following Lance Reddick's tragic death at 60, his wife Stephanie Reddick has spoken out about her husband. She took to his Instagram today to pay tribute to her late partner, and express gratitude for the support the family has received. 

The post included portraits of Lance Reddick, and Stephanie Reddick wrote a caption to say thank you for everyone's support, specifically thanking the "thousands of Destiny players" who paid tribute to her late husband. She wrote on Instagram: 

Along with mentioning the love and support she felt from fans of the video game Destiny 2, a project that Reddick worked on for over a decade, she also mentioned that donations could be made to momcares.org in Baltimore, which is Rddick’s hometown. 

Reddick was found on Friday morning at his home in Studio City, his cause of death is not confirmed, however, TMZ reported that it appears to be natural. The news came as a shock to many, as the actor was only 60 years old, and he had many projects in the works. 

Support was immediately shown for the Reddick family as friends and fans reached out, including Keanu Reeves who paid tribute to his John Wick co-star. The actor wrote that his “love and prayers” are with Stephanie Reddick and their kids, friends and family. He also noted that their upcoming movie John Wick: Chapter 4 would be dedicated to Lance Reddick. 

Along with being part of the John Wick: Chapter 4 cast, Reddick was also part of the ensemble of the spin-off Ballerina. He also was part of the Percy Jackson cast as the god Zeus, and is slated to appear in the movies White Men Can’t Jump, Shirley and St. Sebastian, which are all projects that are either completed or in post-production. So, we’ll be able to still see this beloved actor in the months to come, on both the 2023 TV schedule and in a few of this year’s new movie releases. 

While it’s amazing we’ll get to see so much more of Lance Reddick in the near future, he also has an amazing legacy. He appeared in every episode of HBO’s The Wire as well as a few episodes of the network’s acclaimed series Oz. After that, he went on to star in other hit shows like Lost and Bosch. So, along with his amazing career in movies and video games, he’ll also be remembered for his outstanding performances in classic television shows. 

It’s tragic that we lost such a fantastic actor so early, and seeing all the support fans have shown for his wife, family and friends is heartwarming. Stephanie Reddick made it clear she was very grateful for all the thoughtful messages sent to her from her husband's fans, and it’s clear that he left a legacy that will always be remembered. 

CinemaBlend sends our thoughts and condolences to Lance Reddick's family, friends and fans during this difficult time; he'll be missed dearly. 

The internet and the Hollywood community have been reeling since it was made known that John Wick star Lance Reddick passed at age 60. Since the news broke on Friday, Reddick's fans and friends have wished his family well and posted moving tributes in the wake of his sudden death. That sea of tributes now includes a message from another one of the beloved star's most high-profile collaborators -- Keanu Reeves. Reddick’s John Wick co-star celebrated him with a sweet tribute.

Keanu Reeves spoke on Lance Reddick’s passing in a joint statement he released with John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski. In the message, which was shared with People, the grieving Hollywood star reflected on what it was like to work with the One Night in Miami alum on set. They also revealed how the latest installment in their action franchise will now honor Reddick:

The joint statement is a testament to just how beloved Lance Reddick was by the cast and crew. This development, of course, is even more tragic considering that around the time of his passing, Reddick was busy promoting John Wick: Chapter 4, which is one of 2023's biggest movie releases. The third sequel arrives in theaters on March 24, so it can't be easy for the cast to celebrate and now mourn. Reddick -- who played Charon -- was integral to the franchise though, so it's good to see that he's being honored in such a way.

Lionsgate, the studio behind the movies, also spoke about highly of the late star, referring to him as “our lovely, joyful friend and Concierge.” The studio credited him with bringing an “unparalleled depth he brought to Charon's humanity and unflappable charisma.” And I can't think of a better way to sum up his contributions.

Keanu Reeves and Lance Reddick seemed to become quite close while making the action movies. Reddick recalled Reeves and his girlfriend, Alexandra Grant, visiting him on set on the former’s off-day. The moment was special as the Matrix Resurrections star requested to spend his birthday with The Wire alum, and the day was capped off with a touching note from Reeves. 

While it's sad to think that the skilled character actor is gone, viewers will continue to see him beyond JW: Chapter 4. He'll return as Charon one final time in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, which is currently in post-production. And before the Ana de Armas-led film hits cinemas, he'll pop up in the White Men Can’t Jump remake, which will be available for Hulu subscription holders on May 19. Additionally, he'll play Zeus as part of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast set to arrive on the streamer in 2024. Needless to say, the actor leaves an extensive legacy behind, and  it'll never be forgotten, especially if fans and celebs like Keanu Reeves continue to honor him.

CinemaBlend continues to extend its condolences and well wishes to Lance Reddick’s loved ones during this challenging time.

If you are in any way a film or television fan, then there’s a decent chance you’ve seen Lance Reddick in at least one thing over the decades, if not multiple projects. From small-screen offerings like The Wire, Fringe and Bosch, to performing on the big screen in the John Wick franchise, Angel Has Fallen and more, the man was a powerhouse acting talent. Sadly, word’s come in that Reddick has died at the age of 60.

According to TMZ, Lance Reddick’s body was found Friday morning around 9:30 am at his home in Studio City. While a cause of death hasn’t been determined yet, law enforcement sources who spoke with the publication say it appears to be natural. Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Day, whom he married in 2011.

Born on June 7, 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, Lance Reddick first studied music, earning a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. he then went to the Yale School of Drama and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1994. Some of Reddick’s early work included guest spots on TV shows like The Nanny and The West Wing, as well as appearing in 1998’s Godzilla. He arguably made his first big splash recurring as Johnny Basil in the HBO series Oz, and then in the following year, he debuted as Cedric Daniels on The Wire, which aired on the same premium cable network. Reddick stayed on The Wire for the entirety of its run from 2002 to 2008.

The Wire was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it came to Lance Reddick’s TV accomplishments. His other notable credits in this field included playing Dr. Taylor on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Matthew Abaddon on Lost (Reddick was “pissed off” about this character dying), Phillip Broyles on Fringe and Deputy Chief Irvin Irving on Bosch, as well as voice roles in shows like Tron: Uprising, Beware the Batman, Rick and Morty and Ducktales. Netflix subscribers most recently saw him playing Albert Wesker in the short-lived Resident Evil series, while those with an Amazon Prime Video subscription could hear him voicing Thordak in The Legend of Vox Machina.

In the film world, Lance Reddick had gotten a lot of attention over the last decade for playing Charon, the concierge of The Continental’s New York branch in the John Wick film series, resulting in him sharing many scenes with Keanu Reeves’ title character and Ian McShane’s Winston. Reddick reprises Sharon for John Wick: Chapter 4, which comes out on Friday, March 24, and the actor had recently been doing press for the 2023 new movie release. Other big movies on Reddick’s resume included the aforementioned Angel Has Fallen, Jonah Hex, One Night in Miami… and Godzilla vs. Kong.

While Lance Reddick is no longer with us, we will be seeing him posthumously in a handful of projects. In addition to John Wick: Chapter 4, Reddick was also set to reprise Charon in the Ana de Armas-led spinoff Ballerina, which has reportedly been in postproduction since February, so he presumably finished shooting his scenes. Reddick also starred opposite Jack Harlow and Sinqua Wells in the White Men Can’t Jump remake, which premieres May 19 to Hulu subscribers. As for TV, Reddick will appear as Zeus in the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which those with a Disney+ subscription will be able to watch sometime in 2024.

CinemaBlend offers its condolences to Lance Reddick’s family and friends during this difficult time. He was a phenomenal actor across the board, and he will be missed.

It’s been nearly four years since audiences have seen Keanu Reeves as the assassin John Wick, but when John Wick: Chapter 4 hits theaters on March 24, the story will pick up right where the third installment of one of the best action movie franchises left off. The hitman is determined to take down the High Table, the crime organization that has a huge bounty on his head, and the trailer promises a large body count and all the bad-assery that fans have come to expect from this franchise. First reactions were very promising, with people calling the fourth installment “epic,” and the praise continues now that reviews are out. 

Keanu Reeves is again joined by Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick, and the John Wick: Chapter 4 cast also adds some notable characters in Caine (Donnie Yen) and the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård), who have left their mark on the critics. Let’s get to it then, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of John Wick: Chapter 4. Eric Eisenberg rates the film 4.5 stars out of 5, saying it earns every minute of its nearly three-hour runtime and is likely the best of the sequels. He continues: 

Hoai-Tran Bui of Inverse agrees the three hours breezes by, saying the movie is a “bone-crunching showcase” of what director Chad Stahelski has honed and perfected over the course of four John Wick movies. The critic says: 

Tom Jorgensen of IGN rates the movie a perfect 10 out of 10, calling John Wick: Chapter 4 a “Masterpiece” whose incredibly staged action scenes, engaging ensemble and stylish production design coalesce into a modern action masterclass. From the review: 

Leah Greenblatt of EW grades the movie a B+, calling the movie both “patently ridiculous” and “gloriously illogical,” but also says it’s mostly very fun. The review states: 

Frank Scheck of THR says this fourth John Wick movie outperforms its predecessors in almost every respect, calling it “bigger, badder, bolder, longer.” The critic agrees with those above in saying not many in the audience will complain about the runtime. He continues: 

Thanks to Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski and many others involved, John Wick has become one of the best action franchises, boasting some pretty memorable scenes. If you’ve been waiting for this next chapter, your time is almost here, as John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to hit theaters Friday, March 24. Be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is headed to theaters soon. 

As we’ve seen over the course of three movies, Keanu Reeves’ John Wick has a lot of friends – but at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, one of his most powerful allies seems to betray him. Threatened by Asia Kate Dillon’s The Adjudicator to have The Continental stripped away from him, Ian McShane’s Winston makes the decision to personally try and execute the film’s titular hero. Fortunately, John survives the assassination attempt, his story continuing in John Wick: Chapter 4, but a question is raised: did Winston know that his friend would survive, or was he purely acting out of self-interest?

Curious about this, I brought the query to the source. This past weekend, I had the chance to interview both Ian McShane and Lance Reddick at the John Wick: Chapter 4 Los Angeles press day, and my very first question was about the end of Parabellum. Not really doing much to hide his after-the-fact bias, McShane said,

Ian McShane, of course, is alluding to the fact that Winton’s attempt at killing John Wick isn’t just about taking a single shot at the legendary assassin’s head. Instead, the manager of the Continental gets off five shots at John, causing him to tumult over the edge of the hotel’s roof. He hits a slanted roof, a fire escape, and an awning before he hits the concrete below… but evidently Winston knew all along that John could live through it.

If you feel a bit skeptical about that idea, you’re not alone. Lance Reddick, who plays Winston’s trusted concierge Charon, didn’t seem to wholly buy this perspective on events:

Lance Reddick: It's the bouncing on the way down and the landing that I had to question about, but...
Ian McShane: Well, we looked over together, man.

If Winston is guilty of actively trying to kill John Wick, Charon’s hands aren’t totally clean. After the big fall, he only has three words for his boss: “Well played, sir.”

During the interview, I pointed at Charon’s acceptance of events in the moment, and Lance Riddick explained that internally the character is shocked by what has transpired, but he also knows that you can’t unscramble an egg. In his words:

As for the fallout of the situation… you’ll just have to wait a few more weeks to find out. Featuring a stellar cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Laurence Fishburne, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, and Scott Adkins, John Wick: Chapter 4 will be heading to theaters on June 24. The nearly three-hour long epic has been earning positive reactions from early screenings, so feel free to start getting hyped now.

To learn about all of the films heading to theaters and streaming in the weeks and months ahead, head over to our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

It’s been nearly four years since John Wick fans have seen the Keanu Reeves' most popular hitman character kicking ass on our screens, but the wait is nearly up. After multiple delays, John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally set to hit theaters at the end of the month, and while Chad Stahelski is returning to direct, co-writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch will bring new energy to John Wick’s fight against the villainous High Table. The fourth installment of one of the best action movie franchises has screened, and audiences are hitting up social media with their first reactions.

The trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 promises a high body count, as the titular character looks for a way to destroy the High Table for good. Indie singer Rina Sawayama is among the new John Wick 4 cast members in the role of Akira, with Bill Skarsgård also making his franchise debut. Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprise their roles from previous installments. Let’s see what people are saying about the movie, starting with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, who tweets that the longest John Wick movie yet earns its runtime: 

Critic John Nguyen also mentions Donnie Yen, as he notes that this fourth installment ups the ante on the action: 

Keanu Reeves has said this movie is the “hardest film I’ve ever made,” in terms of the action, and Insider correspondent Kirsten Acuna’s reaction gives us an idea of why. She says the action sequences have a video game feel, and there’s one she kept thinking about long after the movie ended. This one is sure to be a fan favorite, she says: 

Not all who were able to screen the movie are fans of the nearly three-hour runtime, but Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence seems willing to allow it based on the third act alone, tweeting: 

The Nerds of Color call John Wick 4 the most “gorgeous” installment of the franchise, and while it suffers from pacing issues, according to this account, the new cast additions are stellar, and it features some of the best gun fights in the series: 

Critic Courtney Howard promises this is the wildest time you’ll have at the theater this year and also provides another shout-out for the supporting cast in follow-up Tweets: 

Erick Weber not only calls this movie the best of the franchise, he proclaims John Wick: Chapter 4 one of the greatest action movies ever made: 

Hunter Bolding echoes the thoughts of all of the above. One of the top action movies ever? Check. Best in the franchise? Check. Donnie Yen is a show-stealer? Check. He tweets:

With reactions like this to the fourth movie, it’s easy to see why John Wick 5 is already in the works, as well as an equally stunt-crazy spinoff, Ballerina. It may have been a long wait, but it sounds like time has been good to the action franchise. We’ll know even more when critics’ reviews are released next week, ahead of the movie's arrival to theaters on Friday, March 24. Be sure to come back to CinemaBlend for more John Wick: Chapter 4 coverage, and in the meantime, check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are headed our way soon. 

Despite originally being envisioned as a standalone movie, John Wick did so critically and commercially that it ended up being the first chapter of a film series that's delivered four installments, and that franchise has now evolved into a cinematic universe. The Continental prequel series was released on Peacock, Donnie Yen's Caine is getting his own movie, and next up, we can look forward to Ballerina, which is being directed by Len Wiseman and was written by Shay Hatten.

This spinoff, which takes place between the third and fourth John Wick movies, is also a tale driven by revenge, with the title protagonist, a fellow assassin from John's unique corner of the criminal underworld, hunting down the people who murdered her family when she was a child. That’s the extent of what we know about the plot so far, but the upcoming 2025 movie's cast is another story. Let’s go over who’s been unveiled for Ballerina so far, starting with the star of his action-packed event, Ana de Armas.

Ana De Armas

In October 2021, four years after Ballerina’s existence was revealed to the public, Ana de Armas was tapped to lead the spinoff. Between taking part in No Time to Die, Craig’s final Bond flick, and the Netflix subscription-exclusive movie The Gray Man co-starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, de Armas has enough action experience under her belt to make her a solid choice for leading Ballerina.

Ana De Armas’ character, i.e. the young woman going on this revenge quest, is named Eve Macarro. Moviegoers will following along with her as she seeks her own vengeance against those who took her her father and the rest of her family away from her.

Ian McShane

The Continental hotel chain caters exclusively to the criminal underworld in the John Wick universe, acting as neutral ground where “business” cannot be conducted, i.e. no killing people on its grounds. For decades, Winston Scott has owned The Continental’s New York branch, but so far we’ve only seen his involvement in what’s been going on in John Wick’s hectic life.

Well, along with Peacock’s The Continental series showing what Winston was up to in the 1970s, Ballerina has also recruited Ian McShane to reprise the older version of the character. As shown in the Ballerina trailer, it's Winston who brings Eve into this criminal underworld as a child to learn the ways of dancing and killing after her family is killed. She'll also be under the New York Continental's protection during the movie.

Anjelica Huston

In John Wick: Chapter 3, Keanu Reeves’ character visited Anjelica Huston’s The Director, the head of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate and John’s mother figure when he was growing up. This is the woman who instructed John and many other orphans in the ways of the assassins, but we also saw her overseeing ballet training among the young ladies under her care with the intent to teach them that art is pain. Eve is one of those students.

With Anjelica Huston set to return as The Director in Ballerina, we'll see The Director and Ana de Armas' character interacting both through flashbacks and its present day narrative. Whether The Director aids the protagonist in her quest like she begrudgingly she with John in Chapter 3 (and paid for it by having her hands stabbed) is another matter.

Lance Reddick

Winston Scott may run the New York Continental, but naturally the hotel’s concierge plays a key role in making sure the operation runs smoothly. That prestigious job once belonged to Lance Reddick’s Charon, whom Ballerina producer Erica Lee described as “an indispensable part of the world of Wick.”

While the first two John Wick movies primarily saw Charon behind a desk or looking after John’s dog while he was on the job, Chapter 3 finally got to see him jump into the action when he helped John defend The Continental from The High Table’s forces after the hotel was temporarily deconsecrated. Sadly, Chapter 4 saw Charon being executed by the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont, and Reddick himself passed away shortly before the movie's premiere. Still, we may get the chance to see him gun down bad guys one last time in Ballerina.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves will indeed reprise John Wick in Ballerina. However, for those of you who were hoping for a full-fledged team-up between John and Ana de Armas' character, temper your expectations. Reeves said at the convention that he's only in the spinoff for "a few sequences." The trailer shows Eve witnessing part of John's conversation with The Director in Chapter 3, and they'll also run into each other during Eve's mission.

Also keep in mind that John Wick: Chapter 4 ended with the implication that Reeves' character has died. So unless Lionsgate decides to move forward with Chapter 5, Ballerina could be the last time we see the actor in this role.

Catalina Sandino Moreno

Now we come to the newcomers who will be joining Ana de Armas alongside these John Wick alums. Catalina Sandino Moreno, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as María Álvarez in 2004’s Maria Full of Grace, has reportedly been tapped for a “sizable role” in Ballerina, although Deadline did not have any details about her character. Maybe she’s a member of the family that de Armas’ character lost (like an older sister), or maybe she’s simply an assassin who’s either an ally or enemy to the protagonist, but evidently we’ll be seeing a lot of her. Moreno’s more recent credits include The Affair, Barbarians and the sci-fi series From.

Norman Reedus

While Norman Reed’s made waves in the late ‘90s and early 2000s with The Boondocks Saints, Blade II and Deuces Wild, but these days, he’s best known for playing Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. While the franchise’s flagship show ended in November 2022, Reedus is now leading the spinoff show The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Daryl spinoff show. Now he also gets to take part in Ballerina by playing a character named Pine.

Gabriel Byrne

Film-wise, Gabriel Byrne has starred in some heavy-hitters over his acting career of 40+ years, including Excalibur, Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects and Hereditary. Over in TV, he’s best known for Dr. Paul Weston in HBO’s In Treatment, and more recently he’s been seen in shows like Vikings, Marco Polo and War of the Worlds. Producer Basil Iwanyk told Deadline that because you “can never quite be sure” what the actor is thinking, “that’s perfect for this world.” It's since been revealed that Byrne is playing The Chancellor, Ballerina's lead antagonist.

David Castañeda

When Ballerina entered reshoots, two more actors were added to the main cast, per Deadline. The first of this duo is David Castañeda, who is arguably known best for playing Diego Hargreeves on Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, which debuts its fourth and final season later this year. You may have also seen Castañeda in shows like Poker Face and Most Dangerous Game, and the film side of his resume includes Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The Tax Collector and The Guilty.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Sharon Duncan-Brewster is appearing in Ballerina as Nogi, who, as shown by the trailer, is one of the instructors whom Eve learns from when she'd brought into the Ruska Roma. In any case, if Duncan-Brewster's role performance as Liet-Kynes in Dune doesn't ring a bell (as seen above), she has an extensive resume of other film and TV work, including Rogue One, Enola Holmes 2, Doctor Who and Sex Education.

Ballerina is slated for release on June 6, 2025. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more updates on Ballerina’s progress, including other actors who will be along for the ride. Watch The Continental, the three-episode John Wick universe event series, with your Peacock subscription.

John Wick has been through a lot over his three film appearances so far, from losing his wife to a terminal illness and being hunted down by assassins all over the world, to having his finger chopped off and falling off the rooftop of The Continental in the John Wick: Chapter 3 ending. Yet John is still kicking after all this, mean we can look forward to him returning in John Wick: Chapter 4. Had things gone according to the original plan, Chapter 4, the longest John Wick movie yet, would have been released in May 2021, but after being pushed back a year, it’s now on track to be among the 2023 movie releases.

John Wick: Chapter 4 will see the title protagonist waging war on The High Table (as shown in the first trailer), which will include him traveling the globe and facing off against a powerful new enemy who has powerful alliances that will lead to old friends becoming foes. Additionally, we have been learning how the action movie’s cast will look. Let’s go over the actors who have been announced for Chapter 4 so far, starting with the man who brings the Baba Yaga to life on the big screen, Keanu Reeves. 

Keanu Reeves

When we last left off with Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, he’d been seemingly betrayed by his old friend Winston, but luckily, he wasn’t left for dead. The Tick Tock Man retrieved John and delivered him to Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, who’d also suffered at the hands of the High Table and questioned if John was “pissed off” at the council of crime lords too. While it’s unclear how much time will pass between the events of Parabellum and Chapter 4, it’s reasonable to assume that John Wick will indeed seek vengeance for everything that the High Table has done to him. However, there’s also an opportunity that comes his way that could lead to him getting out of this conflict alive.

Rina Sawayama

If the name Rina Sawayama rings a bell, you’re likely familiar with her musical career, as she’s the singer behind singles like “STFU!,” “XS,” “Bad Friend” and “Lucid.” But Sawayama also has some acting experience under her belt, having played Layla Valentine in the short-lived, Idris Elba-led Netflix series Turn Up Charlie. Now she’s making her film debut in John Wick: Chapter 4 as someone named Akira, although it hasn’t been revealed yet whether her character will aid John or try to eliminate him. 

Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen has showcased his martial arts skills in a lot of movies, from Hong Kong offerings like the Ip Man film series to American blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Disney’s live-action Mulan remake. So with so much fighting experience under his belt, he’s a perfect fit for the John Wick franchise, where people are being punched and kicked left and right. Yen’s John Wick: Chapter 4 character is named Caine, he’ll reportedly be an old friend of John’s who “shares his same history and many of the same enemies.” While you’d think that means John can count on Caine to help him out, the latest Chapter 4 trailer showed John and Caine fighting each other, so something will lead to a divide coming between them.

Shamier Anderson

Over in the TV world Shamier Anderson is best known for playing Xavier Dolls in the first three seasons of the Syfy series Wynonna Earp, and he’s also appeared in shows like The Next Step, Shots Fired and Goliath. Anderson’s film credits include Destroyer, City of Lies and Stowaway, and now he gets to take part in the craziness that is John Wick: Chapter 4. Anderson is appearing in Chapter 4 as Tracker, with Chad Stahelski telling Collider that he’s a “self-motived character” (at least initially) who’s operating in the “gray area” between “the Wick world, and the real world.”

Bill Skarsgård

Along with his time scaring audiences and the citizen of Derry, Maine as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the IT movies, Bill Skarsgård has also participated in the action-heavy movies Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2. Now he’s joined the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4 as someone named The Marquis de Gramont. In the second Chapter 4 trailer, The Marquis is presented as someone whom if John can defeat in single combat, The High Table will let him go free. In the aforementioned Collider article, Chad Stahelski said that The Marquis isn’t really “the antagonist, but he's the one in charge of cleaning up all the messes from the first three movies.”

Laurence Fishburne

Now we come to another familiar face who’s returning to the John Wick franchise! Having already played the Morpheus to Keanu Reeves’ Neo in the first three Matrix movies, Laurence Fishburne has since re-teamed with Reeves by playing The Bowery King, who helped John Wick out in Chapter 2 and was punished for this in Chapter 3 - Parabellum. At the end of Chapter 3, the badly injured John was delivered to Bowery King in his new underground hideout, and like John, he was angry at what the High Table had done to them. So now the stage is set for John and Bowery King to exact vengeance on this council of crime lords, and Fishburne has claimed that Chapter 4 is “the best one” of the franchise.

Scott Adkins

Scott Adkins knows his way around action, from fighting Hugh Jackman’s James Howlett/Logan as Weapon XI in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to working for Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Jean Vilain in The Expendables 2. So bringing Adkins into John Wick: Chapter 4 makes all the sense in the world, and if he’s playing a villain, Keanu Reeves’ John will need to keep his guard up against the martial arts skills Adkins’ character, who's named Killa, will surely break out. It remains to be seen if Adkins share any screen time with Donnie Yen, who he co-starred alongside in Ip Man 4: The Finale.

Lance Reddick

Fans of the John Wick franchise can take comfort knowing we’ll reunite with Winston’s righthand man in Chapter 4. Bosch’s Lance Reddick will be back as Charon, the concierge of The Continental’s New York branch who spent the first two movies in the hotel’s lobby, but finally got to jump into the action in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Now we wait to see if he’ll gun down bad guys again in Chapter 4 or if he’ll be back to chiefly focusing on his concierge duties.

Marko Zaror

If Marko Zaror looks familiar to you, then you’ve likely seen him in movies like Machete Kills and Alita: Battle Angel, or maybe you caught his recurring role as Zolo in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. Regardless, John Wick: Chapter 4 looks like it’ll be Zaror’s biggest platform to shine yet, as he’s cast as one of John’s “main pursuers.” In other words, it’ll be this guy’s job to make Keanu Reeves’ character’s life hell… you know, even more than it already is.

Ian McShane

Like Charon, Ian McShane’s Winston has been part of the John Wick franchise since the beginning, as he has the integral role of running the New York branch of the Continental hotel. While Winston provided invaluable assistance to Keanu Reeves’ John in the first three movies, the characters didn’t part on good terms at the end of Chapter 3 - Parabellum. After coming to a truce with The High Table and having the Continental re-consecrated, Winston repeatedly shot John until he fell off the roof to show his fealty to the High Table. Most fans logically assume there was more to Winston doing that than meets the eye, and judging by the Chapter 4 trailers, it looks like he’s back to once again helping John directly. Following Chapter 4, McShane will reprise Winston for a “pivotal” role in Ballerina, and Keanu Reeves will also reportedly be involved in the Ana de Armas-led spinoff.

Clancy Brown

Whether you know him from live-action roles like The Kurgan in Highlander or Byron Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption, or have heard him voice animated characters like Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants or Lex Luthor in the DC Animated Universe, most, if not all of you reading this are familiar with Clancy Brown in some way. Well, soon he’ll be lending his talents to the John Wick universe as a character known only as Harbinger. As explained by Chad Stahelski, Harbinger is "everything that word stands for," essentially serving as The High Table’s “referee.”

Hiroyuki Sanada

As far as his American work goes, Hiroyuki Sanada is recognizable from the likes of The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Army of the Dead, Bullet Train and Westworld, among other projects. During development of John Wick: Chapter 3, it was reported that Sanada was being eyed to play the villain, and while that obviously didn’t happen, he went on to be looped into the Chapter 4 proceedings. So now Sanada and Reeves get to reunite following their time together on 47 Ronin, and Sanada teased that his character, Shimazu, and John Wick also have history with one another.

Natalia Tena

Fans of the Harry Potter movies will know Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks, but if the Wizarding World isn’t your thing, maybe you recognize her from Game of Thrones as Osha, or for leading other shows like Wisdom of the Crowd and Origin. Regardless, it’s been confirmed that we’ll see Tena in John Wick: Chapter 4, and while her character not been identified yet, evidently her time with John Wick will involve him burning his arm for some reason.

Written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, John Wick: Chapter 4 is slated for March 24, 2023. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress, including other actors, both new and familiar, who are added to the lineup. 

There are few video game franchises that have been been turned into more movies and TV shows than the survival horror series Resident Evil, which has been adapted in just about every shape and form dating back to the early days of the 21st Century. The next chapter in that history kicked off in July 2022 with the debut of the long-awaited Netflix series Resident Evil, which looks to combine elements of the games with new ideas for an eight-episode zombie drama.

But you won’t be seeing the return of Milla Jovovich’s Alice on this version of the Resident Evil cast since the show is taking a different direction than Paul W.S. Anderson’s successful film franchise of the same name. But there are some incredible actors who will appear on the show, including Lance Reddick, who is no stranger when it comes to sci-fi series and video game properties. Let’s break it all down now…

Lance Reddick (Albert Wesker)

Albert Wesker, who longtime fans of the Resident Evil video game series will remember as one of the franchise’s most notable antagonists, is portrayed in the 2022 Netflix series by Lance Reddick. It’s hard to say if the show’s version of the ambitious virologist will be as cunning and dangerous as his video game counterpart, but expect the unexpected, especially with Reddick bringing him to life.

A prominent fixture of The Wire cast throughout the show’s five-season run, Reddick has long been one of the most prolific and interesting actors on TV, being able to play characters with a tremendous amount of range. Reddick has also been a major player on the silver screen with prominent roles like Charon in the John Wick franchise. He has also played key roles in the Destiny and Horizon video game series the past decade.

Paola Nuñez (Evelyn Marcus)

Playing Umbrella Corporation CEO Evelyn Marcus on the Resident Evil TV series is Paola Nuñez, who will bring to life the character who will do anything to make sure the company her father founded gets its latest pharmaceutical advancement out on the market (which is pretty standard for the corporation and its dubious past).

Before taking on the role as the daughter of the man behind one of the video game world’s most treacherous entities, Nuñez made a name for herself in her native Mexico in a variety of Spanish-speaking series like Las Juanas, Amor en Custodia, and Mientras Haya Vida before finding success in the United States with shows like The Son and The Purge. Perhaps her most notable film appearance was the 2020 buddy action comedy Bad Boys for Life in which she portrayed Rita Secada. Nuñez will soon return to Netflix for the upcoming The Fall of the House of Usher series.

Turlough Convery (Richard Baxter)

Richard Baxter, the shadowy Umbrella figure who will stop at nothing to sweep his employer’s problems under the rug — even if that means killing those who get in his way — is played by Turlough Convery on the Resident Evil TV series.

Fans of the sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror will probably recognize Convery from his appearance in the 2014 special “White Christmas,” which we previously ranked as the best episode in the series. Over the years, Convery has also found success on shows like Poldark, Les Misérables, Temple, Killing Eve, and Sanditon. In that same stretch of time, the Irish actor has popped up in a variety of movies ranging from Steven Spielberg’s 2018 adaptation of Ready Player One to Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Academy Award winner Belfast in 2021.

Ella Balinska (Jade Wesker)

The Resident Evil TV series is split up into two timelines — one in set in 2022 and one taking place in 2036 after the world has been brought to the brink of destruction because of the T-Virus — and Ella Balinska plays Jade Wesker in the later time period. The daughter of Albert Wesker is a hardened researcher who could very well be humanity's final chance at survival.

Although her name may not be as recognizable as some of the other members of the Resident Evil cast, Balinska has proven she’s an up-and-coming star that needs to be followed. In 2019, the English actress earned a starring role in the Charlie’s Angels reboot as Jane Kano, a performance she followed up the following year with the horror film Run Sweetheart Run. Balinska has also had roles on shows like Casualty, The Athena, and Midsomer Murders.

Tamara Smart (Young Jade)

Playing the 14-year-old version of Jade Wesker on the Resident Evil TV series is Tamara Smart, who portrays a young teenager who finds her true purpose in life trying to uncover the multi-layered mysteries at the Umbrella Corporation and her new home of New Raccoon City.

Smart first found success with the children’s fantasy drama series The Worst Witch in 2017, on which she took on the role of Enid Nightshade for the show’s four-season run. Since then, Smart has shown up on shows like Hard Sun and the 2019 reboot of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Her film work since then includes the 2020 Disney+ movie Artemis Fowl and the Netflix-produced film A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting.

Adeline Rudolph (Billie Wesker)

Adeline Rudolph appears on the Resident Evil cast as the grown-up Billie Wesker, Jade’s fraternal twin sister and daughter of the ambitious Albert Wesker.

Those familiar with the popular Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast will almost immediately recognize Rudolph from her portrayal of Agatha, one of the Weird Sisters, in all 36 episodes of show. Rudolph later appeared on the show’s companion series Riverdale, on which she portrayed Minerva Marble in a total of five episodes. Since then, Rudolph has been featured on the podcast series Listening In, on which she voices a character named Sienna.

Siena Agudong (Young Billie)

Although her twin sister has no problem finding meaning in life in their new home of New Raccoon City, the same can’t be said for the 14-year-old Billie Wesker in Resident Evil’s earlier timeline. Portrayed by Siena Agudong, the younger version of Billie finds herself at odds with just about anyone and everyone in her path.

Over the years, Agudong has earn major roles on shows like Killer Women, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn, Teachers, Star Falls, and No Good Nick, as well as one-off appearances on popular programs like Hawaii Five-0 and Raven’s Home. Her film credits include Second Chances and Alex and Me, as well as brief cameo as the younger version of Mia Toretto in one of F9’s numerous flashbacks.

Connor Gosatti (Simon)

During the 2022 potion of the Resident Evil TV series, Connor Gosatti takes on the role of Simon Marcus, the son of Umbrella CEO Evelyn Marcus and best friend of the younger 14-year-old version of Jade. Talented behind his laptop’s keyboard, Simon helps his new friend get behind New Raccoon City’s state-of-the-art security programs.

Connor Gosatti’s inclusion on the Resident Evil cast is perhaps the young actor’s biggest break yet. Throughout his career, which goes back to 2013, Gosatti has only one other appearance on a TV show — the 2020 comedy series What We See. All of his other credits up to this point are for various short films including the likes of No Bus, Midnight Ticket, and The Little Astronaut.

Ahad Raza Mir (Arjun Batra)

Taking on the role of Arjun Batra, just one of the many who have been become refugees in the wake of the T-Virus pandemic in the later timeline in the Resident Evil TV show is Ahad Raza Mir.

Throughout his career, which goes back to 2010, Mir has mostly worked in Pakistan where he has earned roles of varying degrees on shows like Sammi, Aangan, Ehd-e-Wafa, and Yeh Dil Mera, as well as movies like Parwaaz Hai Junoon and Kalasha. During that same stretch of time, Mir has worked extensively on the stage, appearing in productions of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet at The Shakespeare Company and various other performances of the acclaimed playwright’s most famous works.

Pedro de Tavira Egurrola (Angel Rubio)

Pedro de Tavira rounds out the main portion of the Resident Evil cast as Angel Rubio, a disgraced journalist who was on the receiving end of one of the Umbrella Corporation's coverup operations and now wants to use his knowledge and anger to assist a 14-year-old Jade in her investigations.

Prior to landing a role on the Netflix horror action series, de Tavira Egurrola appeared on a long list of Spanish-language series like An Unknown Enemy, Selena’s Secret, and The Five Juanas, which like Resident Evil is streaming on Netflix. His other credits include El Chapo, Sr. Ávila, I Don’t Trust Men Anymore, and Love, Pain and Vice Versa, to name only a few of his numerous roles so far.

This is just the main portion of the Resident Evil cast as there are numerous other characters who appear in some capacity throughout the eight-episode season. Hopefully this helps you make sense of the characters and where you’ve seen the actors before. But none of this means anything if you don’t watch the show and the only way to do that is by have an active Netflix subscription.

The iconic cast of legendary drama “The Wire,” including Dominic West (Det. Jimmy McNulty), Wendell Pierce (Det. William ‘Bunk’ Moreland), David Simon (Creator/Exec. Producer), Nina Noble (Exec. Producer), Jim True-Frost (Det. Roland ‘Prez” Pryzbylewski), Lance Reddick (Lt. Cedric Daniels), Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield) and Andre Royo (Bubbles), joined CinemaBlend’s Managing Director Sean O’Connell to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show. Watch them tackle a variety of topics spanning all five seasons, including the show’s Emmy snubs, the American issues they would cover on the show today, and a touching tribute to the late Michael K. Williams.

The Wire is available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital and to stream on HBO Max.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
00:18 - The season of “The Wire” that should have won an Emmy
02:52 - The importance of filming on location in Baltimore
07:50 - The cast and creators of “The Wire” pay tribute to Michael K. Williams
13:06 - The current topics “The Wire” would cover if it was still on the air
16:16 - Outro

Keanu Reeves’ reputation as one of Hollywood’s nicest guys has been proven repeatedly. Multiple co-stars have sung the actor’s praise for years, and now, there’s another star to add to the list. John Wick Chapter 4’s Lance Reddick has shared the screen with Reeves for all four films. Naturally, a bond has formed while shooting those movies. A recent anecdote by Reddick drove home how much the John Wick star appreciates his co-stars.

It seemed like Keanu Reeves’ public persona extends to his co-stars as well, according to his John Wick Chapter 4 co-star. But Lance Reddick revealed more of Reeves’ personality to Vulture. He mentioned the John Wick star was generous and shy while on set. In the same breath, Reddick called the actor “incredibly deep, insightful, and thoughtful” while being mindful of his personal space. Reeves’ multifaceted personality allowed the two co-stars to cultivate a friendly relationship. But there was one special moment that cemented his growing friendship with the Matrix Resurrections star.

Visiting a co-star on set on your birthday spoke to the bond Reeves and Reddick have formed while filming the franchise. Meeting the actor’s girlfriend for the first time was a huge step. But meeting Alexandra Grant wasn’t just a fluke. Reddick spilled why the couple made a surprise visit to the set on Keanu Reeves’ day off.

The Speed star proved once again why he gets glowing reviews from previous co-stars. Taking time to show his appreciation for Lance Reddick was such a nice gesture. Again, Reddick’s story is just the latest testimony about Keanu Reeves’ persona as John Wick 4 co-star Donnie Yen spoke on Reeves’ warm gestures after wrapping up the film. Matrix Resurrections’ Jessica Henwick opened up about what he was really like, revealing they spoke about everyday life. His close relationships extended to the film crews as evident by his awesome expensive gifts for the John Wick 4 production staff. And clearly there's a ton of love for Reeves' partner Alexandra Grant.

It seemed Keanu Reeves is all about making everyone as comfortable as possible even with his stern boundaries. Of course, viewers will have to wait to see Charon and John Wick in action a bit longer after John Wick Chapter 4 was delayed again, which allowed Reeves to film more scenes. The fourth film will now arrive in theaters on Mar. 24, 2023. In the meantime, moviegoers can see what upcoming movies Reeves have coming in 2022.

Hollywood lost a television legend this week in Michael K. Williams, the beloved actor known for his roles in acclaimed shows like The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. Williams was found dead in his New York apartment this past Monday, with the news of passing arriving in the afternoon. Fans have since taken to social media to mourn the late star and express their condolences. A number of celebrities like The Rock and Viola Davis are also paying their respects to Williams with some truly sweet tributes.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson acted alongside Michael Kenneth Williams in the 2013 movie Snitch. In an Instagram post, the wrestler-turned-actor shared a photo of Williams and shared a sweet caption:

Oscar-winner Viola Davis shared a raw reaction on social media. Along with her caption, she also shared a sweet video featuring a number of images of the late actor:

Ed Norton was also one of the stars who took some time to remember the actor, with whom he worked with on the 2019 film Motherless Brooklyn. In one of the two tweets he shared, Norton discussed what the performer brought to the film:

Scandal star Kerry Washington reacted to the news in a social media post of her own. Like many others, she expressed shock and sadness over the actor’s passing:

Of course, Michael K. Williams’ The Wire co-stars also chimed in with some incredibly sentimental thoughts. Lance Reddick, who played the role of Cedric Daniels on the HBO drama, shared a video to Twitter in which he shared how he learned of Williams’ passing and what it was like to work with him:

Wendell Pierce’s William "Bunk" Moreland shared a number of scenes with Michael K. Williams’ Omar Little on The Wire. Pierce posted a lengthy thread on Twitter in which he mourned his colleague:

Wendell Pierce also spoke on the significance of the characters they played on The Wire. He illustrated this by referring to one of the show’s key moments:

It’s honestly still hard to believe that Michael K. Williams is no longer with us. For many of us, he was a constant presence in our entertainment viewings. As tragic as the situation is, it’s lovely to see so many taking the time to remember him not only for his contributions as an artist but as a human being.

We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts and condolences to Michael K. Williams’ family and loved ones at this time.

Keanu Reeves is looking to have a very exciting next couple of years as he has two big franchise movies on the way. Later this year we're going to get The Matrix 4 and in just under a year we'll have another big part four: the fourth chapter in the John Wick franchise. That movie has been putting together its cast in recent days, and has been adding some strong names including the likes of Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins. However, it wouldn't feel like John Wick if a few of the previous cast members didn't join Reeves back in the new film, and it's now confirmed that Lance Reddick's Charon will be back as well.

Deadline confirms the return of Lance Reddick to the franchise, which would seem to indicate that we'll see Ian McShane's Winston again as well. Although, as of now that has not been confirmed. It's possible contract negotiations are still being ironed out and that a deal has not been struck. While it's certainly possible we could see Charon return without Winston, the two have been largely joined at the hip throughout the John Wick franchise.

Lance Reddick has played the Concierge of the New York Continental hotel since the first movie, and he joined Keanu Reeves in the action-packed finale of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, fighting off hoards of soldiers from the hotel. By the end, however, he stood by Ian McShane's Winston when he apparently turned on Wick and tried to kill him.

Lance Reddick joins Laurence Fishburne who is also confirmed to return to John Wick: Chapter 4 as the Bowery King. When last we saw Keanu Reeves' character in Chapter 3, his battered body was being dumped in front of the King, who also barely survived the events of the film. It seems likely that the two will be working together to get some measure of revenge.

Beyond that, we don't really know what John Wick: Chapter 4 will be bringing to the (high) table. Each movie has deepened the lore of John Wick's world of assassins that exists just under the surface of our own, in a way that normal people seemingly never notice what's happening around them. And the story will dive deeper still as we know that at least one more John Wick movie will follow this one.

Hopefully we'll see even more characters from earlier in the John Wick franchise return as well. While most people who go up against John Wick don't survive the movie, we could see Asia Kate Dillon's Adjudicator return, and there's even the characters played by Ruby Rose and Common from John Wick: Chapter 2 who never actually died on screen, and thus could technically return at some point. John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently set to open May 27, 2022.

Following five seasons, over 100 episodes, and a number of twists and turns, Fox's sci-fi/supernatural drama series, Fringe, came to a close in 2013. It's hard to believe that nearly a whole decade has passed since this J.J. Abrams-created series — which was considered an inspired mix of Lost, The X-Files, and The Twilight Zone — concluded its multi-universe story. But now that the show's finished, what is the Fringe cast, including Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, and Lance Reddick, doing now? Let's find out!

Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham)

As Olivia Dunham, a young FBI agent assigned to a multi-agency government task force known as the "Fringe division," Anna Torv played the lead in Fringe. Following her time in this Fox show, Torv starred in Netflix's acclaimed Mindhunter. Her other TV credits include Young Lions, Deadline Gallipoli, Secret City, Mistresses, McLeod's Daughters, The Secret Life of Us, and The Pacific. Away from TV, Torv can be seen in The Daughter, Travelling Light, The Book of Revelation, Love is Now, and Stephanie. Additionally, she was heard in the video game, Heavenly Sword, and its film adaptation. Also, the actress is known for her voluminous stage work. Next, Torv stars in the Australian drama, The Newsreader.

Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop)

In the role of Peter Bishop, the son of mad scientist Walter Bishop, Joshua Jackson plays the male lead in Fox's Fringe. Most notably, Jackson is known for his starring role in The WB's Dawson's Creek. The actor also starred in the Mighty Ducks movies and Showtime's The Affair. Additionally, Jackson appeared in Netflix's When They See Us. His other major TV roles include Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Outer Limits, and Champs. Furthermore, he can also be heard in Gravity Falls, Cubix, and The Simpsons.

Additionally, in film, Joshua Jackson can be seen in Cruel Intentions, Shutter, The Skulls, One Week, Andre, Apt Pupil, Urban Legend, Cursed, Lay the Favorite, Inescapable, Sky, Gossip, The Safety of Objects, Americano, Aurora Borealis, Bobby, Battle in Seattle, The Laramie Project, Scream 2, and Ocean's Eleven. Most recently, Jackson starred in Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere. Next, the actor will appear in Peacock's limited series, Dr. Death.

John Noble (Walter Bishop)

Playing the part of Walter Bishop, a former government researcher with a nearly 200 IQ, John Noble plays one of our leads in Fox's Fringe. Away from this sci-fi series, Noble is known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He can also be seen in Fox's Sleepy Hollow and CBS' Elementary, as well as the Australian medical drama, All Saints. Furthermore, as a voice actor, Noble can be heard in Batman: Arkham Knight and L.A. Noire. His other TV credits include The Blacklist, Salvation, Legends of Tomorrow, Devil's Playground, Rake, The Good Wife, 24, Pirate Islands: The Lost Treasure of Fiji, Home and Away, and The Lost World. The actor can also be seen in films such as Fracture, One Knight with the King, Risen (2010), Running Scared, The Mule (2014), and The Monkey's Mask. Additionally, Noble's voice can be heard in The Last Airbender and Superman: Unbound.

Most recently, John Noble was seen in Amazon Prime's Hunters and The Boys. Next, he'll appear in Home Invasion, as well as Nameless and the short film, Call Waiting.

Jasika Nicole (Astrid Farnsworth)

As Astrid Farnsworth, an FBI Junior Agent who serves as Olivia's assistant, Jasika Nicole was a main character throughout Fringe's five seasons. Away from this Fox series, Nicole is known for her starring role in ABC's The Good Doctor. Her other TV credits include Scandal, Key & Peele, Law & Order, Major Crimes, Station 19, Underground, and The Return of Jezebel James. The actress can also be heard in Adventure Time, Danger & Eggs, We Bare Bears, and Justice League Action, as well as podcasts such as Alice Isn't Dead, Welcome to Night Vale, and The Bright Sessions.

Additionally, Jasika Nicole did voice work for video games like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Alt-Frequencies. She also appeared in She's Out Of My League, Take the Lead, Suicide Kate (which she also produced), A New York Christmas, Get Faamous, and Secondhand Love. Away from acting, Nicole designs and makes her own clothes. Also, the actress works as an illustrator. Currently, Nicole appears in Peacock's Punky Brewster revival. Also, as a voice actress, she can be heard in Netflix's Trash Truck.

Lance Reddick (Phillip Broyles)

In the role of Phillip Broyles, the head of the Fringe division, Lance Reddick plays a professional, by-the-books character in Fringe. Most notably, Reddick is known for The Wire, Oz, Lost, Law & Order: SVU, and the John Wick movies. Currently, he appears in Bosch. He also recently played recurring roles in DuckTales and Corporate. The actor's other film credits include The Guest, Oldboy (2013), Jonah Hex, Little Woods, Angel Has Fallen, Faults, Won't Back Down, White House Down, The Siege, and Don't Say a Word. Reddick also appeared in CSI: Miami, American Horror Story: Coven, and Apocalypse.

Most recently, Lance Reddick was seen in Amazon Prime's One Night in Miami ... and Sylvie's Love. He also starred in Faith Based. Additionally, he was heard in From Now, Chrysalis, Castlevania, and Paradise PD. Next, Reddick will appear in Godzilla vs. Kong and the short film, Man of Fire. Soon, the actor will be heard in the video game, Horizon: Forbidden West. Also, Reddick stars in Danny DeVito's long-delayed film, St. Sebastian.

Blair Brown (Nina Sharp)

Playing the part of Nina Sharp, the executive director of Massive Dynamic, Blair Brown was a main character throughout the majority of Fringe's run. Following her work in this Fox series, Brown was most notably seen in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. Additionally, the actress was Emmy-nominated for her starring role in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, where she also directed. Furthermore, Brown received a BAFTA nomination for portraying Jacqueline Kennedy in 1983's Kennedy. Her other TV credits include Limitless, Elementary, Jack Ryan, Person of Interest, Falling Skies, The Affair, Forever, Law & Order: SVU, ER, Law & Order, Smallville, CSI: Miami, Ed, Frasier, Kojak, Touched by an Angel, and The Rockford Files. Also, she narrated American Experience.

Away from TV, Blair Brown was Golden Globe-nominated for her role in Continental Divide. Her other film credits include Altered States, One-Trick Pony, The Paper Chase, The Astronaut's Wife, Dogville, The Sentinel, Space Cowboys, A Flash of Green, Loverboy, The Treatment, and Dark Matter. Her next project hasn't been announced.

Mark Valley (John Scott)

As John Scott, an FBI Special Agent who was once Olivia's partner and lover, Mark Valley played a big part in Fringe's first season. He was also briefly married to Anna Torv. Away from this series, Valley is known for Boston Legal, Harry's Law, Human Target, and Body of Proof. His other notable TV credits include Days of Our Lives, Once and Again, ER, CSI, Keen Eddie, The 4400, Law & Order: SVU, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Bloodline, The Romanoffs, Feud: Bette and Joan, Hawaii Five-0, and The Flash.

Additionally, away from TV, Mark Valley can be seen in films like The Next Best Thing, The Siege, Zero Dark Thirty, Stolen, The Innocent, and Gun Shy. Additionally, as a voice actor, he can be heard in Shrek the Third and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2. Recently, Valley was a guest star in Blood & Treasure and Emma Fielding Mysteries.

Kirk Acevedo (Charlie Francis)

In the role of Charlie Francis, an FBI special agent with a close connection to John and Olivia, Kirk Acevedo was part of the main cast of Fringe for the first two seasons. Elsewhere, Acevedo starred in Oz, Band of Brothers, and Syfy's 12 Monkeys. The actor also played main roles in Arrow, Prime Suspect, The Black Donnellys, and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Additionally, Acevedo had a recurring role in Kingdom.

Furthermore, his other TV credits include White Collar, Cold Case, The Mentalist, Person of Interest, The Walking Dead, Grimm, Blue Bloods, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Numb3rs, 24, and NYPD Blue. Away from the tube, Acevedo appeared in The Thin Red Line, Boiler Room, The New World, Invincible, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Insidious: The Last Key.

Most recently, Kirk Acevedo was a guest star in ABC's Stumptown. Also, Acevedo appeared in the short film, Exit Package. Additionally, the actor is attached to the indie horror-thriller, Don't Look There, though developments remain slow on the project.

Seth Gabel (Lincoln Lee)

Playing the part of Lincoln Lee, a team leader within the parallel universe Fringe division, Seth Gabel has a mind-melting character in this sci-fi Fox series, particularly in Season 4. Elsewhere, Gabel is known for WGN America's Salem and FX's Nip/Tuck.

Seth Gabel's other television credits include Dirty Sexy Money, United States of Tara, Arrow, American Horror Story: Hotel, CSI, Sex and the City, Gothica, and The Closer. Also, he appeared in Genius: Einstein, along with its follow-up, Genius: Picasso. Additionally, Gabel can be seen in Jonah Hex, The Da Vinci Code, Take Me Home Tonight, Good Dick, Forever, Tadpole, A Beautiful Mind, and Allegiance. Most recently, the actor guest-starred in Billions. He was also heard in the video game, Maquette.

Michael Cerveris (September/The Observer/Donald)

As September, often referred to as "The Observer," Michael Cerveris played a mysterious supporting character throughout Fringe's run. A renowned stage performer, Cerveris is a two-time Tony-winning actor for his work in 2004's Assassins and Fun Home. Additionally, the award-winning star is acclaimed for his lead roles in Sweeney Todd, Road Show, The Who's Tommy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Passion.

Away from the stage, Michael Cerveris played recurring roles in The Good Wife, Treme, and The Tick. He was also in the main cast for Netflix's Mindhunter Season 2. His other TV credits include The Equalizer, CSI, Law & Order, Elementary, Gotham, Person of Interest, Madam Secretary, 21 Jump Street, Quantum Leap, and The Knick. Additionally, Cerveris' film credits include The Mexican, Tokyo Pop, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Detours, Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Most recently, Michael Cerveris made guest star appearances in HBO's The Plot Against America and CBS's Evil. Next, the actor will be seen in HBO's The Gilded Age.

Stream Fringe on IMDbTV here.

It isn’t every day you get to see a movie that offers a hypothetical situation in which four of the most prominent and influential figures in the American Civil Rights movement get together for memorable night out on the town. And while the events of Regina King’s feature-length directorial debut were all dreamed up in the head of playwright and screenwriter Kemp Powers, the One Night in Miami cast is so committed to their craft and portrayals of Malcolm X, Cassius Clay (just before he became Muhammad Ali), Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke, you would think you were watching a documentary if you didn’t know any better.

After catching One Night in Miami at your local movie house or deciding to wait until the movie premieres on Amazon Prime Video in January 2021, you may be asking yourself where you’ve seen this crop of extremely talented and versatile actors before. There are some up-and-comers in the cast, but that shouldn’t take away from what some of these names have been able to accomplish in such a short time. With those fresh faces there are also some of Hollywood’s most notable character actors, who also get a time to shine in this imaginative period piece. Let’s see who’s who in One Night in Miami.

Kingsley Ben-Adir (Malcolm X)

Portraying the American Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in One Night in Miami is Kingsley Ben-Adir, who has been on quite a roll as of late after taking on some fairly large roles in a number of television programs and feature films. In 2020 alone, Ben-Adir appeared in the Showtime original miniseries The Comey Rule in which he played former United States President Barack Obama, an episode of the HBO Max original series Love Life, a recurring role as Russell “Mac” McCormack on the Hulu series adaptation of High Fidelity, and a one-off performance on the AMC series Soulmates.

Prior to his busy 2020, Kingsley Ben-Adir appeared on shows like The OA, Peaky Blinders, and Deep State, as well as the Disney+ original comedy Noelle and Guy Ritchie’s 2017 Camelot re-imagining, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Eli Goree (Cassius Clay)

The plot of One Night in Miami takes place just after boxing legend Cassius Clay lands a surprise victory over Sonny Liston, and playing “The Greatest” in the 2020 period drama is Eli Goree. A longtime television actor with appearances on shows ranging from Riverdale, where he has a recurring role as Munroe “Mad Dog” Moore, to The 100, Goree has also shown up in titles like Legends of Tomorrow, GLOW, and Supernatural over the years.

Surprisingly, One Night in Miami is Eli Goree’s third credit in a feature film, having previously appeared in a very small capacity in 2014’s Godzilla, and in a more notable performance as Olympic track star Dave Albritton in the 2016 sports drama Race, which chronicled Jesse Owens' winning a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin games.

Aldis Hodge (Jim Brown)

Of the four main actors who make up the central cast of One Night in Miami no one has more credits to their name than Aldis Hodge, who portrays American football icon Jim Brown. Hodge is probably best known for his portrayal of MC Ren in the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, or perhaps for playing Levi Jackson in the inspiring NASA story Hidden Figures, both of which came out in 2016.

But those are just two of the dozens of movies, television shows, and video games in which Aldis Hodge has been featured throughout his career, which goes all the way back to 1994’s Die Hard with a Vengeance. Also included in that long list are shows like Friday Night Lights, The Walking Dead, and The Blacklist. He will next appear as Hawkman in Black Adam.

Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Cooke)

Sam Cooke, the American soul singer best remembered for his highly emotional song “A Change Is Gonna Come,” (which was inspired by his 1963 arrest in the Jim Crow South) is portrayed by none other than the sensational Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton fame. In addition to being the first actor to take on the role of Aaron Burr in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway sensation, Odom has been in everything from theatrical productions of Rent, Dreamgirls, and Jersey Boys, to movies like Harriet, Only, and Red Tails, and television shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI: Miami.

On top of all of that, Leslie Odom Jr. has also released multiple studio albums, including two Christmas records, the most recent having come out in November 2020. For some, however, Odom will always been remembered for his career-defining performance in Hamilton all those years ago.

Lance Reddick (Brother Kareem)

Outside of its four main stars, the One Night in Miami cast is made up some pretty impressive talent, including Lance Reddick, who takes on the role of Brother Kareem, Malcolm X’s bodyguard and confidante. It is impossible to go through any streaming service and not see at least one movie or television program featuring Reddick in some capacity. Whether it be in shows like The Wire, Fringe, and Bosch or film appearances, like in the John Wick franchise, the Baltimore native has been one of the hardest working actors in the business since getting his start in 1992.

Nicolette Robinson (Barbara Cooke)

Nicolette Robinson makes her film debut in One Night in Miami, in which she plays Barbara Cooke, the wife of soul singer Sam Cooke, but this is far from the first entry on her impressive list of credits. With major roles on shows like The Affair, Hart of Dixie, and Perfect Couples, the wife of co-star Leslie Odom Jr. has also had success on the stage, including her 2018 Broadway debut with Waitress. Robinson also recently appeared in the Freeform series Love in the Time of Corona.

Michael Imperioli (Angelo Dundee)

Michael Imperioli, the Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his portrayal of Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, appears in One Night in Miami as Cassius Clay's longtime trainer and cornerman Angelo Dundee. Between the iconic HBO series and Regina King’s new period drama, Imperioli has shown up in everything from Law & Order to The Office, with film credits that include The Lovely Bones, Shark Tale, and Spike Lee’s 2013 remake of Oldboy.

Beau Bridges (Mr. Carlton)

Beau Bridges shows up in One Night in Miami as a wealthy Georgia man by the name of Mr. Carlton who shows up briefly to have a pointed conversation with Aldis Hodge’s Jim Brown on the southerner’s plantation home. The multi Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy award-winning actor has appeared in hundreds of movies, television programs, and other productions throughout his career, which spans all the way back to 1948, including Gunsmoke, Stargate SG-1, and Alexander Payne’s 2011 drama The Descendants.

Joaquina Kalukango (Betty Shabazz)

Joaquina Kalukango appears briefly in One Night in Miami as Malcolm X’s supportive and committed wife Betty Shabazz, a.k.a. Betty X. Kalukango, who has since gone on to appear in HBO’s supernatural social examination, Lovecraft Country, previously portrayed Shabazz in a yet-to-be-released 2015 short film titled I Had a Dream.

Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (Drew 'Bundini' Brown)

Drew Bundini Brown, the longtime assistant trainer for Cassius Clay, is portrayed by Lawrence Gilliard Jr. in One Night in Miami. Gilliard, who appeared in The Wire as D’Angelo Barksdale, the ill-fated lieutenant in his cousin’s drug-dealing operation, has shown up in everything from The Walking Dead to The Deuce in recent years, but in the past, the accomplished actor has taken on memorable roles in comedies like The Waterboy and psychological thrillers like The Machinist.

Aaron D. Alexander (Sonny Liston)

Sonny Liston, the boxing legend who is defeated by Cassius Clay in One Night in Miami, is portrayed by Aaron D. Alexander. The actor has not only appeared in small roles on shows like Scandal, Ballers, and American Crime, but has also performed stunt work in Marvel projects like Captain Marvel, Inhumans, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jeremy Pope (Jackie Wilson)

American soul singer Jackie Wilson is brought to the big screen in One Night in Miami by Jeremy Pope, who has performed in various stage productions both on and off Broadway, as well as the 2020 Netflix series Hollywood, in which he played Archie Coleman. Throughout his career, Pope has been nominated for Tony, Grammy, and Primetime Emmy awards for his various performances.

Christopher Gorham (Johnny Carson)

Regina King’s One Night in Miami features dramatizations of some of the most iconic figures of 1960s America, and the movie wouldn’t be complete without someone playing the former king of late night TV, Johnny Carson. Christopher Gorham, whose film credits mostly consist of voice work for various DC Comics animated features, has the honor of portraying talk show legend in the 2020 star-studded affair. In addition to voicing Barry Allen on multiple occasions, Gorham has appeared on shows like Ugly Betty, Modern Family, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This is just a dozen or so of the talented actors that make up the cast of Regina King's One Night in Miami. If you've already seen the movie and want to know what else is coming out the final days of the year, check out CinemaBlend's 2020 release guide for all the latest.

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As crazy as it may seem, 12 years have passed since HBO aired the final episode of The Wire back in March 2008. And over the course of the past decade-plus, the cast of the groundbreaking HBO drama series has gone on to do some pretty remarkable things in on the small-screen, the silver screen, and just about everywhere else. I mean, what would you expect from a collection of acclaimed actors like Dominic West, Idris Elba, and Michael B. Jordan? Expect to find them way down in the hole? No, not this cast.

And now that all five seasons of David Simon's love letter to the city of Baltimore and its residents are streaming for free on HBO, I'm sure some of us are wondering what Bubbles, Omar, Wee-Bey, and the rest of the expansive cast are up to these days. For the sake of brevity, and my own sanity, I'll be sticking with the main cast and a few outliers here. Let's go back to Baltimore…

Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty)

For five seasons, Dominic West portrayed the on-again, off-again alcoholic Baltimore police detective Jimmy McNulty, who despite his issues with his vices was a damn good police officer on the Major Crimes Unit. West has continued to stay busy over the years in shows like The Affair and Brassic, the latter of which is still ongoing on the Sky One British television network. When he's not acting, West partly spends time at Glin Castle in Ireland, the childhood home of his wife, Catherine FitzGerald.

Idris Elba (Stringer Bell)

Between 2002 and 2004, there was no one more feared than Stringer Bell on the fictional streets of Baltimore. Brought to life by the superb acting of Idris Elba, Bell was as ruthless as he was ambitious as he tried to slowly take over the city of Baltimore. Although things didn't end ideally for the character, Elba went on to have probably the most successful career out of anyone on the show. With two films in the works — 2020's Concrete Cowboys and 2021's The Suicide Squad — the English actor and singer is quite busy, especially considering his March 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis.

Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland)

Many people might recognize Wendell Pierce as James Greer in the Amazon original series Jack Ryan, but before the celebrated actor was giving it to the young CIA analyst, he portrayed Baltimore homicide detective William "The Bunk" Moreland on The Wire. Following his five-season run on the HBO series, Pierce teamed up with David Simon again for Treme. You can next see Pierce in action when Jack Ryan returns to Amazon sometime in the near future.

Michael K. Williams (Omar Little)

If you've ever wanted to know what Robin Hood would look like in the projects of a major metropolitan city then look no further than Michael K. Williams' portrayal of Omar Little in The Wire. For five seasons, Omar stole from the drug dealers who held the city of Baltimore hostage and took care of matters with his unique form of street justice. Williams has continued to show up in crime films and television series over the years, including the soon to be released Arkansas.

Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs)

One of the most fearless and dedicated detectives in the Baltimore Police Department, Kima Greggs was a vital member of the team that aimed to bring down the drug trade in Charm City. Sonja Sohn, the actress behind the character, even stayed around Baltimore following the conclusion of the series to help rebuild communities, and even made her directorial debut with the 2017 HBO documentary Baltimore Rising. Sohn is also staying busy with her acting career, which has led to a role on the Showtime series, The Chi.

Lance Reddick (Cedrick Daniels)

The deputy of operations turned attorney Cedric Daniels was a driving force in the wire-tap investigation carried out against the Barksdale organization throughout The Wire, a position that put him at odds with the members of his team and the Baltimore Police Department as a whole. The performance was brought to life by Lance Reddick, who most recently starred in the Amazon series Bosch, which was renewed for a seventh and final season in February 2020.

Andre Royo (Bubbles)

Andre Royo gave audiences one of the best performances on The Wire as the recovering heroin addict and confidential informant Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins. Throughout the series, Bubbles went from an untrustworthy addict to a key member of the cast who could be depended on for street-level information. Royo most recently appeared on the television drama Empire before it wrapped in April 2020.

Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver)

Ellis Carver was one of the original members of the task force assigned to put a stop to the Barksdale organization in the early seasons of The Wire, with the brash and arrogant police officer being brought to life by Seth Gilliam. The veteran television actor has appeared on everything from Teen Wolf to The Walking Dead, where he currently portrays Gabriel Stokes.

Domenick Lombardozzi (Thomas "Herc" Hauk)

Over the course of five seasons of The Wire, Thomas "Herc" Hauk saw himself go from lowly Baltimore police officer to criminal defense investigator before breaking out on his own as a private eye before everything wrapped up. The actor behind the character, Domenick Lombardozzi, most recently appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman and is set to appear in The King Of Staten Island and Boogie, both of which are in post-production.

Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale)

Wood Harris played Avon Barksdale, one of the most powerful and notorious drug dealers in Baltimore throughout the duration of The Wire. Barksdale was the main target of the wire-tapping operation in the show's first season. Harris, who is mostly known for his role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans, has continued to work in film and television, most recently appearing in Empire.

Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon)

The quiet and meticulous Lester Freamon proved to be major player in the Baltimore Police Department through his investigations as part of the Major Crimes Unit, even if he was roped into the whole mess of the "serial killer" subplot in Season 5. Clarke Peters, the man behind the role, is next set to appear in the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods.

Michael B. Jordan (Wallace)

Although he only appeared in the first season of The Wire, Wallace's story is one that had a ripple effect throughout the entire City of Baltimore. Killed by his best friends under orders from Stringer Bell, the orphaned street kid was one of the most tragic characters featured in the show. Michael B. Jordan, who was barely a teenager when he was hired for the role has gone on to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, thanks to little movies like Black Panther and the Creed franchise, which is slated to continue in the future.

Aidan Gillen (Tommy Carcetti)

Introduced in Season 3 premiere, Thomas Carcetti went from councilman to mayor of Baltimore and eventually governor of Maryland by the time everything was said and done, no matter what it cost to get there. Aidan Gillen is now best remembered for his portrayal of the master manipulator Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on Game Of Thrones. He is currently attached to the Taylor Sheridan-directed Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Amy Ryan (Beadie Russell)

Before she was known as Holly Flax on The Office, Amy Ryan joined the cast of The Wire in Season 2 where she played Port Authority police officer Beadie Russell. In the years following her turn in David Simon's crime drama, Ryan has continued to act in film and television, with her latest project, Lost Girls, seeing a March 2020 release from Netflix.

Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Clay Davis)

Clay Davis, the Maryland State Senator from Baltimore is hands down the most corrupt character to show up on The Wire. Known for his shadiness and ability to stretch out the word "shit" longer than anyone before or since, Clay Davis was one of the characters you just couldn't help but love to hate. Isiah Whitlock Jr., the actor behind the insane character, is slated to appear in the Showtime miniseries Your Honor as well as the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods, where he will reunite with former The Wire castmate Clarke Peters.

Hassan Johnson (Wee-Bey Brice)

Unlike characters like Stringer Bell and Clay Davis, Wee-Bey Price was one of the few antagonists on The Wire that you actually felt bad for, despite everything he did. The former gang enforcer and father of Namond Price wound up serving time after confessing to crimes he didn't commit. Hassan Johnson is currently featured on the ABC drama For Life.

Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield)

And then there's Marlo Stanfield, who you just can't help but love despite everything he did throughout the final three seasons of The Wire. Portrayed by Jamie Hector, Stanfield was the central antagonist starting in Season 3, and only ramped up his reign of terror over Baltimore as his competitors began to die off. Hector most recently appeared in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

Those are just a dozen or so of the characters from David Simon's The Wire. I'm sure I left off someone's favorite character due to the fact that there were literally dozens of faces appearing in each of the show's five seasons. If you agree with the list, or if I forgot a big name, make sure to sound off in the comments. And continue to check back on all things HBO here at CinemaBlend.

Keanu Reeves is just too popular for his own good! Instead of everyone wanting to kill him, like John Wick, everyone wants to work with him. We've already seen how 2019 became The Keanussance, but it's not over yet -- Keanu is returning for back-to-back movies in three of his major franchises. That has put John Wick: Chapter 4 in something of a confused position, at least according to John Wick movies co-star Lance Reddick.

John Wick 4 already has a release date of May 21, 2021, but when will they be able to make it? Also, when will they finish writing it?

Lance Reddick plays Continental Hotel concierge Charon in the John Wick films. He gave a John Wick: Chapter 4 filming update to Comicbook:

See? Too popular. Bill & Ted Face the Music should be the easiest to work around. The third film in the Bill & Ted franchise is already finished filming. Provided no major reshoots are needed, Keanu Reeves should only be required to promote the film before its release on August 21, 2020. Not that promoting is nothing -- it's time, and often a lot of travel.

Filming, though, is another matter. When news about The Matrix 4 came out a few months ago, one additional surprising note was that production was looking to start in the early months of 2020. Based on that, it sounds like Keanu Reeves might be filming The Matrix 4 before John Wick 4.

Unlike John Wick 4, The Matrix 4 doesn't have a scheduled release date yet, beyond assumptions that maybe it'll show up in 2022. But you have to imagine it will require a lot more post-production and VFX work than a movie with more practical stunts like John Wick. After all, Keanu even said the Matrix 4 script was "very ambitious."

Another question up-in-the-air for both John Wick 4 and The Matrix 4 is "What about Laurence Fishburne?" John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ended in such a way that it seems like the Bowery King will definitely return. What about Morpheus for the fourth movie? Fishburne isn't confirmed at this point and there was some talk about The Matrix 4 including a younger Morpheus, which would involve recasting.

So, to Lance Reddick's point, between the possible filming of The Matrix 4 in early 2020 and then promotion for Bill & Ted Face the Music in summer 2020, it's not clear when Keanu Reeves will have time in his schedule to put our favorite dog-lover back in action.

John Wick: Chapter 3 started filming in early May 2018 for its release in theaters one year later in May 2019. Depending on multiple factors, if John Wick: Chapter 4 can't get Keanu Reeves or the rest of production together in time, we may see John Wick 4 move its release date away from May 21, 2021. It's not like all three John Wick movies released in May -- the first arrived in October 2014, the second in February 2017 -- but John Wick 3 had such a huge success this year, I can't blame Lionsgate for wanting to replicate that as much as possible.

Here's everything we know so far about John Wick 4. Keep up with everything heading to the big screen next year with our 2020 movie release date schedule.

The series finale of Lost is considered by many to be one of the worst finales in the history of television. That might sound harsh, but some fans are obviously still bitter with the way things ended. The Wire actor Lance Reddick is also still frustrated with the show, though for a completely different reason. Originally meant to play Mr. Eko in Season 2, Reddick joined Lost’s fourth season, playing Matthew Abaddon. Although Reddick was intended to continue with the show in a recurring role, Matthew was killed off early on in Season 5 and Reddick is still angry about it.

Lance Reddick thought that his role on the J.J. Abrams-produced series was secured for at least another season, despite having been cast as a series regular on Fringe, which was also co-created by Abrams. Though he was told he could continue being on both shows at once, that didn’t turn out to be the case and Reddick’s run on Lost ended before it had the chance to take off.

In an interview with THR, Lance Reddick described being killed off on Lost as “annoying,” saying that the episode in which Matthew kicked the bucket was good, but that the death rubbed him the wrong way.

Lance Reddick appeared in only four episodes of the sci-fi/fantasy series and, as Matthew Abaddon, implored other characters to find their purpose. His biggest storyline involved pointing John Locke, played by Terry O’Quinn, in the direction of the island and he was later killed by Benjamin Linus, played by Arrow actor Michael Emerson. Though he assisted Locke and worked heavily with Charles Widmore, Matthew’s background wasn’t explored very much, so his life remained a mystery for the most part.

While the actor had been tapped to audition for Lost in its second season, plans fell through because of scheduling conflicts with HBO’s acclaimed series, The Wire. Characters come and go, but things don’t always line up the way they did with Lance Reddick, so it’s unfortunate that he lost a role he wanted due to another. If Matthew had been around in Season 7, things might have turned out much differently.

Despite Lance Reddick and fans’ feelings about the show, though, the series had a lasting impact and maintains its status as a must-watch among many critics. For more shows like Lost, check out our complete guide to all the fall TV shows and their premiere dates.

John Wick is still thinkin' he's back. Keanu Reeves landed himself another iconic role in another major action franchise, and he'll soon return for his third round in John Wick: Chapter 3, aka John Wick 3: Parabellum. However you slice it, it sounds rough for John Wick. The not-so-retired hitman has proven himself up to almost any challenge, but this is a big one.

John Wick: Chapter 3 is bringing back several stars from the first two films, and adding a few more. So, now seems like a good time to review what we know so far about the 2019 film. Up first? Taking a look at the amazing trailer!

What Have We Seen From John Wick: Chapter 3?

After months of waiting, we finally got the first trailer for the third installment of this assassin-based franchise, and, well, it looks as badass, tense and stylish as we were hoping it would. It starts with John and his dog running through the rain, trying to get out of New York before the grace period on the bounty for his life begins, then takes us quickly through some of the things he'll have to face, presumably in escaping the city. He does make it out alive, to meet up with Halle Berry's Sofia in some far flung locale. But, this being the type of film where your troubles literally follow until you're dead, that doesn't appear to be the end of the chase. We'll have to wait until the film debuts to see how John manages to get out of this one.

What Does The Title John Wick 3: Parabellum Mean?

When Keanu Reeves was asked by ComingSoon.net if the title was Chapter 3 or Parabellum, the star replied that it was both: John Wick 3: Parabellum. Reeves continued, explaining that "Parabellum" means "Prepare for war. It's part of that famous sentence, 'Si vis pacem, para bellum,' which translates as, 'If you want peace, prepare for war.'" Parabellum also refers to a type of firearm, so both uses of the word seem perfect for this movie. There was some conflicting information on the "real" title, though. The official social media accounts had it labeled only as John Wick: Chapter 3 for a while, but it seems that Reeves' excellent Parabellum answer may have helped turned the tide for the official title.

What Is The John Wick: Chapter 3 Release Date?

John Wick: Chapter 3 is currently scheduled for release in theaters on May 17, 2019, meaning we're only a few days away from it hitting theaters. The first John Wick film opened in the U.S. on October 24, 2014, making $88 million worldwide. John Wick: Chapter 2 opened on February 10, 2017, making $171.5 million worldwide.

John Wick: Chapter 3 definitely has the potential to be the biggest film of the franchise, but it is opening in a hugely competitive month. Early May 2019 has belonged to Avengers: Endgame, which came out on April 26 and dominated the box office like a champ. Detective Pikachu made an impressive run at second place when it debuted on May 10, so John Wick 3 will be going up against both of those when it releases. Aladdin is opening the week after, on May 24, and the month currently ends with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, among other titles. It's going to be very interesting to see how this shakes out. It's a safe bet that Endgame will own the month, but who else will survive?

What Is John Wick: Chapter 3's Rating?

John Wick 3 is going to be Rated R, just like the first two films. While it took a while for the movie to get an official rating from the MPAA, there was no need to wait. This is not Disney, it's not even Marvel or DC. It's John Wick, and the amount of violence alone would get an R. The franchise has also included enough language to make Captain America blush, and even some brief drug use and nudity. And, since John Wick: Chapter 3 is meant to have the highest death count of the franchise to date, there was never really a chance the rating would be less graphic than the previous films' R rating.

What Is The Plot Of John Wick: Chapter 3?

John Wick: Chapter 2 ended with John being declared "excommunicado" from The Continental hotel -- neutral territory for New York City's underworld -- for breaking the central rule of taking a life on Continental grounds. Continental manager Winston (Ian McShane) gave John a one-hour head start, but he's now on the run -- hunted by just about everyone, and cut off from other members, with a $14 million global contract out on his life. In Chapter 3, John Wick uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights his way out of New York City.

Chad Stahelski returns as director after co-directing the first film and taking solo credit for the second film. He told EW Chapter 3 is "a little bit of an origin story," with John Wick connecting with some people from his past (see new characters below for more on that). In September 2017, Stahelski told Collider his vision for the third movie was based on going deeper into the world instead of just making it bigger.

John Wick - Keanu Reeves

We first met retired hitman John Wick when his wife Helen died from a terminal illness, and he was given an adorable beagle puppy named Daisy to help with his grief. When he refused to sell his vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 to Russian gangsters, they stole the car and killed sweet Daisy. Hence, John Wick's revenge.

John got a new pit bull puppy at the end of that film, and returned in Chapter 2 to make good on his unbreakable "Marker" promise to Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio. Santino asked John to kill his sister Gianna, so Santino could take her place on the High Table council of crime lords. Because of the Marker, John was not allowed to refuse. But then Santino double-crossed John and opened a $7 million contract for John's death, pretending it was out of revenge for his sister's murder. John killed Santino in the Continental lounge, breaking the key Continental rule of no blood shed on hotel grounds, thereby launching the $14 million contract of Chapter 3.

By the time Chapter 3 rolls around, Keanu Reeves will have played John Wick across five years. The now 54-year-old actor does not seem to be slowing down, and one of the first official photos showed him riding a horse through the dark New York City streets while escaping assassins.

Sofia - Halle Berry

Oscar winner Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) has been cast as new character Sofia. She's described as an assassin, and the first official photo of her (above) shows her mid-badass walk, surrounded by two dogs of her own. About Sofia, Keanu Reeves told ComingSoon.net:

Keanu Reeves added to EW that his John Wick ends up going to find Sofia to see if she can help him. A photo toward the top of this post shows John and Sofia together in the desert, with her dogs. Sofia has two Belgian Malinois dogs, and the dogs are symbolic of someone she's lost. Apparently, the dogs are her assistants and "work very well tactically," director Chad Stahelski added to EW.

Halle Berry filmed several scenes in Morocco and documented them on social media. She clearly had a great time making the film, and showed off some of her stunt moves. She has plenty of action film experience from playing Storm in the X-Men movies, plus as Jinx in the Bond movie Die Another Day, but still managed to injure herself while prepping for the movie. She also recently joined the Kingsman franchise in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and we can't wait to see what she brings to the franchise.

Winston - Ian McShane

Deadwood star Ian McShane plays Winston, owner and manager of the Continental Hotel in New York, which caters to the criminal underworld. He has been in all three movies so far. The second movie ended with Winston sending for John to tell him he was excommunicado for killing on Continental grounds -- and also let him know the High Table doubled the contract out on him from $7 million to $14 million. But Winston is as close to an ally as John has; he gave John a one-hour head start and also gave him a Marker for future use. One of the first John Wick 3 photos showed Winston with The Bowery King (see below), pairing those heavyweights together.

The Bowery King - Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne reunited with his The Matrix trilogy co-star Keanu Reeves in the second John Wick movie. Fishburne plays NYC underground crime lord The Bowery King, who helped the injured John Wick when he was desperate. We know The Bowery King will return in the third movie -- and also connect with Winston. This will be the first time we see the characters together, although they must've already met in this shared universe. Both The Bowery King and (especially) Winston have the potential to be allies of John's, although they are first and foremost pragmatists. There's only so far The Bowery King would be willing to stick his neck out, since he only helped John in Chapter 2 out of their shared interest against Santino.

Charon - Lance Reddick

The Wire and Lost alum Lance Reddick plays Charon, another character to appear in all three John Wick films so far. Charon is the enigmatic concierge at Winston's Continental Hotel, serving the New York criminal underworld. There's no word right now if he'll end up somehow helping John out in this film, but Reddick should be fun to watch either way.

Ares - Ruby Rose

Orange Is the New Black star -- and new Batwoman -- Ruby Rose joined the John Wick team in Chapter 2 as mute assassin Ares. She worked as Santino's personal security, and fought John Wick in a knife fight. He beat her, but apparently didn't kill her, since she signed that she'd be seeing him. Santino is now dead, and Ares should be one of the many assassins out to kill John Wick and collect that money.

The Director - Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston is no stranger to movies about hitmen -- she won an Oscar for Prizzi's Honor -- but she's a newcomer to the John Wick family. In Chapter 3, she plays a member of the High Table called The Director. Director Chad Stahelski teased to EW that she's "someone who was responsible for [Wick's] upbringing and his protection, in keeping with the previous plot tease that this will be something of an origin story. We see in the new trailer that John gets a chance to confer with The Director at some point, so maybe she'll be willing to help him out.

The Adjudicator - Asia Kate Dillon

Billions and Orange Is the New Black star Asia Kate Dillon also plays a new member of the High Table. By definition, an adjudicator judges or arbitrates a formal dispute. It sounds like The Adjudicator must have had a role in doubling and globalizing the contract put out on John Wick at the end of the second film. Other than that, it's not clear what The Adjudicator will do in Chapter 3. Maybe appeal John's judgment? Santino had used a Marker to get John to kill his sister, then put a contract out for John in seeming revenge for doing just that. Would the High Table amend its verdict on John Wick if they knew more of the context, or would that not matter?

The Administrator - Robin Lord Taylor

Gotham's Robin Lord Taylor has a small role in John Wick: Chapter 3 as The Administrator. He may be connected to The High Table, as with other similarly described characters. Taylor told /FILM he filmed just one day on John Wick 3, on the first day of principal photography. He plays "definitely an important person in that world." He's known for playing The Penguin but said he took this John Wick 3 character "in a physical dimension that was different for me so I’m very excited for people to see it." He added that "It’s very iconic;" whatever that means.

Zero - Mark Dacascos

Actor, martial artist, and former Dancing With the Stars celeb Mark Dacascos plays an assassin named Zero. At this point, that's all we know about the Cradle 2 the Grave and Maximum Impact star's character. But Zero is reportedly one of the main assassins in the film.

Tick Tock Man - Jason Mantzoukas

Jason Mantzoukas is best known for comedies -- including roles on Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This time, he's playing an assassin named Tick Tock Man. As usual, that's all we know. But based on Mantzoukas' strengths, it would be surprising if he wasn't given some kind of a comedic angle.

What Other New Actors Are Joining John Wick: Chapter 3?

Three Kings and Wonder Woman star Said Taghmaoui confirmed his involvement on social media, sharing photos with Keanu Reeves and the desert in Morocco, where Halle Berry was also filming. We don't know anything about his character, though. Lost and The Wolverine actor Hiroyuki Sanada was reported early on as playing the main villain, but then conflicting reports disputed that main role.

Since this movie is going to be jam-packed with global assassins trying to take down John Wick for that $14M payday, it's no surprise to hear many assassin actors have been cast -- including Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, Tiger Hu Chen, Boban Marjanovic, and (reportedly) Vladimir and Vlado Mihailov, Danish Bhatt, and Candace M. Smith. Sadly, one assassin character who won't return is Common's Cassian; he was expected to return after Chapter 2, but the actor revealed he won't be involved.

Will John Wick: Chapter 3 Be The Last Film?

Will there be a John Wick 4? Director Chad Stahelski told EW he would happily make a fourth John Wick film if the audience enjoys John Wick 3 and wants more. It would probably depend, in part, on how John Wick: Chapter 3 ends. If John Wick lives, it sounds like Keanu Reeves is more than willing to return to the role and keep this up. Also, obviously, box office receipts may come into play. But, even if Reeves' John Wick rides off into the sunset with his dog -- or that horse -- there's still the TV series in the works.

In January 2018, Starz ordered a series called The Continental, set in the criminal hotel safe haven. In this case, though, EW reports the series is meant to be set in Los Angeles, instead of New York. Keanu Reeves is said to have agreed to reprise his role for a cameo. Writer-producer Chris Collins was set to write the series and serve as showrunner, with Chad Stahelski directing the pilot. As of November 2018, we have no premiere date, but stay tuned.

We just have a few days now until John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum hits theaters, so be sure to keep your eyes on this guide for any major updates!

While Black Panther will make his MCU debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, he’ll first get a chance to shine on his own when his solo movie is released a year later. Aside from Chadwick Boseman playing titular character T’Challa, however, no other cast members have been announced. Since Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Thor: Raganrok are all preceding Black Panther, it will probably be a while until we learn who the main players will be - but that isn’t stopping one actor from cluing Marvel in on a role he’d like to play in the African superhero’s solo adventure: Black Panther's father, T'Chaka.

Lance Reddick, most famous for his role as Cedric Daniels on HBO's hit series The Wire and as Phillip Broyles in Fringe, has expressed interest in playing T’Chaka, the previous king of Wakanda, on IGN’s Keepin’ It Reel podcast. Discussing the comic book movie during the conversation, Reddick told the hosts,

Fortunately for Lance Reddick, there’s plenty of time for Marvel to look for the right candidates - though it is still unclear how much of the Black Panther movie will delve into the titular superhero’s backstory. In the comics, T’Chaka was killed by a deranged scientist named Ulysses Klaw, who attempted to steal a supply of Wakanda’s most cherished natural resource, vibranium. Given that it seems Andy Serkis is playing Klaw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s possible the Black Panther movie will take the same path and make Klaw T’Chaka’s murderer.

It's important to note that Black Panther is the identity used by every Wakandan king going back centuries, so if Reddick scores the role that role of T'Chaka, he may even get the opportunity to put on the superhero costume. And because there’s only a 14 year age difference between Reddick and Boseman, Reddick’s appearance as T’Chaka would either be in a flashback or he would have to have a lot of makeup applied to look older. Since T’Challa was a young boy when his father was killed in the comics, the former is the likelier choice.

Beyond the possible Black Panther role, Lance Reddick also expressed interest in perhaps heading over to the DC Comics side of things, namely by possibly portraying Martian Manhunter or John Stewart, one of Earth’s Green Lanterns. Warner Bros. has yet to cast anyone as the new Green Lantern yet, although Tyrese Gibson has been campaigning heavily recently to score the role. As for Martian Manhunter, although he was a founding member of the Justice League in the Silver Age of Comics, his spot was taken by Cyborg in the New 52 reboot - and it seems the same thing will be happening on the big screen. Since the DCCU is being partially inspired by the New 52 and Warner Bros’ has big plans for Cyborg, it’s unlikely we’ll see Martian Manhunter on the big screen anytime soon. Reddick should probably focus his energy on Marvel and spend more energy campaigning for T’Chaka. He’ll probably get killed off, but at least he’ll be able to leave his mark on the MCU.

Black Panther will be released on November 3, 2017.